Liposomal compositions and uses of same

ABSTRACT

Compositions comprising liposomes composed of whole cell membrane fraction are provided. The liposomes may be attached to, or encapsulate a pharmaceutical agent. Also provided are methods of generating and using these liposomes.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/372,449 filed on Apr. 2, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/498,526 filed on Apr. 27, 2017 now U.S. Pat. No. 10,292,933, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/392,575 filed on Feb. 27, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,642,817, which is a National Phase of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IL2010/000703 having International Filing Date of Aug. 26, 2010, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/237,306 filed on Aug. 27, 2009. The contents of the above applications are all incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein in their entirety.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to liposomal compositions and uses of same.

Liposome based DNA and drug delivery systems have been extensively investigated in the last four decades, and used as a mean to treat various conditions. Liposomal systems allow the efficient entrapment of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds in a well-characterized, biocompatible and non-immunogenic lipid vesicle that can range from nanometers to micrometers in diameter. Liposomes can also be targeted using specific ligands such as protein conjugates or antibodies that bind specific cellular receptors. In cancer therapy, liposomal systems are of the most popular and well-investigated drug carriers. This is mainly due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, which refers to the increased vascular permeability of tumor vessels due to tumor angiogenesis. The EPR effect results in the accumulation of liposomes in the tumor extracellular fluid, which is exploited as a passive targeting mechanism. State of the art technologies in liposomal drug delivery for cancer therapy primarily include drugs that are approved for clinical use (e.g., DaunoXome™, Myocet™, Doxil™, Caelyx™). Several approaches are currently investigated for the targeting of liposomal systems to cancer, which include the binding of targeting moieties to the liposome surface (e.g., antibodies). Synthetic cationic liposomes are the most common vectors for DNA delivery although their cytotoxicity remains a concern irrespective of the preferred route of DNA transfer both in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, anionic liposomes that better resemble cell-derived liposomes (in term of their electric charge) were also shown to mediate gene transfer, but suffer from poor encapsulation efficiency due to the large size and the negative charge of the uncondensed DNA. Improving encapsulation efficiency and protecting DNA from degradation was achieved by complexation of the DNA with cations or poly-cations that subsequently also significantly improved the transfection efficiencies.

In the last decade several studies have revealed that certain primary cells, such as adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and endothelial cells, accumulate at tumor microenvironments, when administered to tumor bearing animals. Recent data suggests that isolated membrane fractions of tumor cells appear to contain potent MSC attractants, more so than the cytoplasmic fractions isolated from the same cells. This data implies that the mechanism of MSC targeting to tumor cells is mainly governed by cell-to-cell interactions via the binding of surface molecules found on tumors and MSC. However, cellular response to different soluble factors (i.e., chemokines) secreted by angiogenic blood vessels and tumor cells is suggested to take some part in the MSC homing mechanism as well. The homing mechanism motivated studies on the use of these cells as a targeted delivery vehicle for cancer therapy. In these studies, primary cells were isolated and transduced with different genes of interest, either anti-cancer or reporter genes. The cells were transplanted to tumor bearing animals and their homing to the tumor microenvironment was demonstrated using the expressed reporter proteins. Tumor inhibition was achieved using the expressed anti-cancer proteins.

Liposomes, which are derived from the cytoplasmatic membrane of mammalian cells, have been commonly used as a tool in the study of membranes and cellular mechanisms. Cell derived liposomes (CDL or CDLs in plural) have been also investigated as a tool for cancer immunotherapy. In these studies, liposomes were prepared from the membranes of tumor cells and were used as adjuvant to evoke the immune system towards tumor antigens located on the liposome membrane. However, cell derived liposomes have never been produced from stem cells, nor used as a delivery vehicle. Furthermore, no CDL system has ever been developed as a targeting platform.

Related Art

Boone, C. W., Ford, L. E., Bond, H. E., Stuart, D. C. & Lorenz, D. Isolation of plasma membrane fragments from HeLa cells. J Cell Biol 41, 378-392 (1969).

Westerman and Jensen Methods Enzymol. 2003; 373:118-27.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a composition-of matter comprising a liposome attached to, or encapsulating a pharmaceutical agent, the liposome being composed of a whole cell membrane fraction.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cell is a human cell.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a cell source for the whole cell membrane is selected from the group consisting of a stem cell, a primary cell, a cell-line, a non-tumorigenic cell, a cancer cell and an immune cell.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a composition-of matter comprising a liposome composed of a whole cell membrane fraction of a stem cell.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the stem cell comprises a human mesenchymal stem cell.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a composition-of matter comprising a liposome composed of a whole cell membrane fraction of a primary human cell.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a composition-of matter comprising a liposome composed of a whole cell membrane fraction of a non-tumorigenic human cell.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cell membrane is genetically modified to express an exogenous protein.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the exogenous protein is selected from the group consisting of a cell marker, a targeting moiety and the pharmaceutical agent.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the liposome encapsulates, or attached to a pharmaceutical agent.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the pharmaceutical agent is a therapeutic agent.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the composition-of-matter is non-immunogenic in a human subject.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a cell source of the whole cell membrane fraction comprises cells autologous to a host subject.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a cell source of the whole cell membrane fraction comprises cells non-autologous to a host subject.

According to some embodiments of the invention, said liposome is attached to a synthetic polymer at an external surface thereof.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the pharmaceutical agent is a diagnostic agent.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the liposome is unilamellar.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the liposome is attached to a synthetic polymer at an external surface thereof.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the synthetic polymer is a poly-ethylene-glycol (PEG).

According to some embodiments of the invention, the liposome has a size range of 30-1000 nm.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of producing liposomes comprising,

-   (a) subjecting cells to hypotonic conditions, so as to obtain     ruptured cell membranes and/or ghosts; and -   (b) homogenizing the ruptured cell membranes and/or ghosts to     thereby produce liposomes.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the homogenizing is effected by:

-   (c) sonicating the ruptured cell membrane and/or ghosts; and     optionally -   (d) extruding the ruptured membrane and/or ghosts through a matrix     of pre-determined porosity.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the method further comprises conjugating a synthetic polymer to the liposomes following step (c).

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of encapsulating a pharmaceutical agent in a liposome, the method comprising making the liposomes according to the method above and adding the pharmaceutical agent prior to the step of homogenizing.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical composition comprising as an active ingredient the composition-of-matter and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of delivering a pharmaceutical agent, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof the composition of matter, thereby delivering the pharmaceutical agent.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the cell source of the whole cell membrane fraction is autologous to the subject.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a cell source of the whole cell membrane fraction is non-autologous to said subject.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying images and drawings. [1-10 images, 11 drawing]. With specific reference now to the images/drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the images/drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A-1C characterize human MSCs. Cell morphology as visualized by Giemsa staining (FIGS. 1A,1B) and typical MSC (positive and negative) surface markers analyzed by flow cytometry (FIG. 1C).

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the migration of hMSCs towards cancer cells. DiI (red) labeled hMSC and DiO (green) labeled BHK, PC3, Cf2Th and COS-7 cells were drop-wise seeded. Maestro imaging following 72 hrs incubation demonstrated specific migration of the hMSCs towards PC3 prostate cells while “avoiding” other cell-lines.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing targeting of MCF7 breast cancer cell-line by hMSCs stimulated by MCF7-derived condition media.

FIGS. 4A-4B are Cryo-TEM images of cell-derived liposomes. Cell-derived liposomes were prepared from the cytoplasmatic membranes of hMSCs and were PEGylated by conjugation with monomethoxy-PEG. The resulting PEGylated (FIG. 4A) and un-PEGylated (FIG. 4B) CDLs were then imaged by Cryo-TEM.

FIGS. 5A-5C are graphs showing DLS and Zeta-Potential analysis of CDLs. Un-PEGyltated and PEGylated hMSC derived CDLs were analyzed for size, size distribution and charge by Number-weight DLS (FIG. 5A), Volume-Weight DLS (FIG. 5B) and Zeta-potential (FIG. 5C).

FIG. 6 shows the surface marker characterization of hMSCs derived liposomes. CDL's were prepared from hMSCs, conjugated with Tosyl-activated Dynabeads™ and analyzed by FACS for hMSCs specific membranal markers (i.e., CD44, CD29, CD90 and CD105).

FIGS. 7A-7B show the binding of CDLs prepared from hMSCs to prostate cancer cell-line (PC3). PC3 cells were labeled with DiO (green) and incubated with CDLs that were previously labeled with DiI (red). Cultures were imaged following 12 hrs incubation. Representative 3D-projection (FIG. 7A) and single-slice (FIG. 7B) images are presented.

FIGS. 8A-8B are graphs and FACS histograms showing concentration-dependent binding of CDLs prepared from hMSCs to prostate cancer cell-line (PC3). PC3 cells were incubated with various concentrations of CDLs that were previously labeled with a red fluorescent dye (DiI). Following 24 hrs incubation, cells were washed, harvested and analyzed by FACS (FIG. 8A). The mean fluorescence intensity of the cells was calculated and plotted vs. the natural logarithm of CDLs concentration (FIG. 8B).

FIG. 9 show the specific binding of CDLs, prepared from conditioned hMSCs (i.e cell cultured with conditioned media of cancer cells), to prostate cancer cell-line (PC3). DiI-labeled CDLs were prepared from hMSCs which were previously incubated for 24 hrs with condition media derived from a prostate cancer cell-line (PC3) and from a non-human cell-line (BHK). The resulting “conditioned” CDLs, as well as CDLs prepared from unconditioned hMSCs (control, NO CM), were incubated with PC3 and BHK cells for 15 min, 1 hr and 3 hrs. Following incubation, the cells were washed, harvested and analyzed by FACS. The percentage in the marker refers to the ratio of DiI-labeled cells within the marker. The percentage in brackets, designated on the upper-left histogram only, refers to the ratio of unlabeled cells within the marker. The marker and the ratio of unlabeled cells within the marker are identical for all histograms.

FIGS. 10A-10B are cryo-TEM images of hMSCs derived liposomes entrapping soluble Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL). sTRAIL-containing CDLs (FIG. 10A) and empty CDLs (FIG. 10B) were prepared at the same final concentration and imaged by Cryo-TEM under the same conditions. To emphasize CDLs' content, the original grey-scale Cryo-TEM images (left pane) were re-colored to black and white (right pane).

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the overall design of targeted carriers based on cell-derived liposomes (CDL). Origin cells that naturally and specifically interact with target cells are selected as a source for cell derived liposomes. For example, MSC membranally interact with cancer cells therefore are selected as a source for cancer targeting carriers. Source cells undergo hypotonic treatment to generate ghost cells, which are then homogenized to produce CDL. Resulting CDL are then able to specifically bind their target cells in a similar manner to the cells they are derived from.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to liposomal compositions and uses of same.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details set forth in the following description or exemplified by the Examples. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

A major challenge facing cancer therapy is achieving a cytotoxic effect towards cancer cells, while sparing the healthy ones. The importance of the development of novel targeted therapeutic delivery strategies for cancer therapy has long been recognized worldwide.

The present inventors have designed a novel delivery vehicle for targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents into cells and tissues. The delivery vehicle is liposome-based composed of a whole cell membrane fraction which comprises both natural lipids and proteins. By employing native cell membranes, the delivery vehicles of the present invention may be formulated to be of low immunogenic potential, easily home to the target tissue and can be genetically modified to express therapeutic or targeting moieties.

As is illustrated below and in the examples section, which follows and further depicted in FIG. 11, the present inventors have generated liposomes composed of whole cell membranes of mesenchymal stem cells, which are well-known for their homing capacities as well as their immuno-suppressive abilities (i.e., their ability to reduce inflammation and suppress immune cells) and hypo-immunogenic features (i.e., stealth-like features that makes them less immunogenic and less recognizable as foreign matter when heterologously transplanted). The liposomes exhibit the protein signature of mesenchymal stem cells and as such are expected to mediate similar immunosuppression and migratory properties as intact mesenchymal stem cells. These cell derived liposomes were further PEGylated to increase their bioavailability and dispersion and reduce their coagulation. The cell derived liposomes were also treated to encapsulate a therapeutic agent. Altogether these findings, place the present delivery system as a pivotal tool in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease such as cancer.

Thus, according to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a composition-of-matter comprising a liposome attached to, or encapsulating a pharmaceutical agent, said liposome being composed of a whole cell membrane fraction.

As used herein the term “liposome” refers to fully closed carrier molecules comprising a spherical lipid membrane which itself is in a liquid crystalline phase or a liquid gel phase, in which an entrapped liquid volume is contained. The two liquid phases are immiscible. Thus, liposomes of the present invention (also referred to herein as cell derived liposomes (CDLs), similar to membranes of cells, are in an entirely gel/liquid state and/or liquid crystal state and not in a solid state.

The liposomes of some embodiments of the present invention have an expected protein to lipid ration of about 0.8 w/w.

Of note, the protein content of hMSCc CDLs is about 0.8 mg/10⁸ cells (as determined by Bradford assay). The lipid content can be easily determined using the Stewart phospholipids assay. It is expected to be about 1 mg/10⁸ cells.

The following calculation can be used to determine the theoretical phospholipids content. Since the dry mass of a single mammalian cell is in the magnitude of 10⁻⁷ mg¹ and since phospholipids constitutes approximately 10% of the dry cell mass² then the theoretical yield of the cell derived liposomes' production process (assumed 100% efficiency) should be in the magnitude of 10⁻⁸ mg phospholipids per single cell or 1 mg per 10⁸ cells.

Liposomes include niosomes, transfersomes, emulsions, foams, micelles, liquid crystals, dispersions, lamellar layers and the like.

The liposomes may be unilamellar or multilamellar.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the liposomes are unilamellar, as determined by Cryo-TEM.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the liposomes exhibit native membrane symmetry and expression of native markers.

Liposomes of the present invention are composed of a whole cell membrane fraction.

As used herein the phrase “cell membrane” or “cellular membrane” (which may be interchangeably used) refers to a biological membrane, which surrounds the cell or is an integral part of an organelle thereof (e.g., chloroplast, ER, golgi, mitochondrion, vacuole, nucleus and a lysosome).

According to a specific embodiment of the present invention the cell membrane refers to the plasma membrane. The use of plasma membrane is of a specific advantage since it presents proteins, which are associated with cell-to-cell interactions, as well as other recognition molecules, such as receptors that bind soluble ligands.

As used herein “a whole cell membrane fraction” refers to a fraction, which does not include lipids alone but also includes membrane proteins.

Examples of membrane proteins include, but are not limited to, integral proteins, transmembrane proteins, lipid anchored proteins and glycoproteins.

According to an embodiment of the invention the whole cell membrane fraction also includes carbohydrates.

According to a specific embodiment the cell is a eukaryotic cell [e.g., mammalian (such as human), plant, insect cell].

According to an additional specific embodiment the eukaryotic cell is a mammalian cell.

According to yet an additional embodiment the cell can be a primary cell (i.e., non-immortalized and at times not cultured) or a cell-line.

According to yet an additional embodiment the cell can be an embryonic cell.

Use of a primary cell may be advantageous for clinical use where non-cultured cells are used in autologous or non-autologous (syngeneic allogeneic or xenogeneic) settings.

According to a specific embodiment the eukaryotic cell is a stem cell.

As used herein, the phrase “stem cells” refers to cells, which are capable of remaining in an undifferentiated state (e.g., pluripotent or multipotent stem cells) for extended periods of time in culture until induced to differentiate into other cell types having a particular, specialized function (e.g., fully differentiated cells). Preferably, the phrase “stem cells” encompasses embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells.

According to a specific embodiment the stem cell is a mesenchymal stem cell.

Mesenchymal stem cells are the formative pluripotent blast cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) give rise to one or more mesenchymal tissues (e.g., adipose, osseous, cartilaginous, elastic and fibrous connective tissues, myoblasts, cardiac like cells) as well as to tissues other than those originating in the embryonic mesoderm (e.g., neural cells) depending upon various influences from bioactive factors such as cytokines. MSCs can be isolated from embryonic yolk sac, placenta, umbilical cord, fetal and adolescent skin, blood, bone marrow, adipose and other tissues, although their abundance in the bone marrow far exceeds their abundance in other tissues. MSCs have been shown to have immunosuppressive functions in various settings, including autoimmune diseases and transplantation, rendering liposomes generated therefrom ultimate tools in inflammatory and autoimmune settings.

Methods of isolating, purifying and expanding mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known in the arts and include, for example, those disclosed by Caplan and Haynesworth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,359 and Jones E. A. et al., 2002, Isolation and characterization of bone marrow multipotential mesenchymal progenitor cells, Arthritis Rheum. 46(12): 3349-60.

Preferably, mesenchymal stem cell cultures are generated by diluting BM aspirates (usually 20 ml) with equal volumes of Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS; GIBCO Laboratories, Grand Island, N.Y., USA) and layering the diluted cells over about 10 ml of a Ficoll column (Ficoll-Paque; Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J., USA). Following 30 minutes of centrifugation at 2,500× g, the mononuclear cell layer is removed from the interface and suspended in HBSS. Cells are then centrifuged at 1,500× g for 15 minutes and resuspended in a complete medium (MEM, α medium without deoxyribonucleotides or ribonucleotides; GIBCO); 20% fetal calf serum (FCS) derived from a lot selected for rapid growth of MSCs (Atlanta Biologicals, Norcross, Ga.); 100 units/ml penicillin (GIBCO), 100 μg/ml streptomycin (GIBCO); and 2 mM L-glutamine (GIBCO). Resuspended cells are plated in about 25 ml of medium in a 10 cm culture dish (Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y.) and incubated at 37° C. with 5% humidified CO₂. Following 24 hours in culture, nonadherent cells are discarded, and the adherent cells are thoroughly washed twice with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The medium is replaced with a fresh complete medium every 3 or 4 days for about 14 days. Adherent cells are then harvested with 0.25% trypsin and 1 mM EDTA (Trypsin/EDTA, GIBCO) for 5 min at 37° C., replated in a 6-cm plate and cultured for another 14 days. Cells are then trypsinized and counted using a cell counting device such as for example, a hemocytometer (Hausser Scientific, Horsham, Pa.). Cultured cells are recovered by centrifugation and resuspended with 5% DMSO and 30% FCS at a concentration of 1 to 2×10⁶ cells per ml. Aliquots of about 1 ml each are slowly frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen.

To expand the mesenchymal stem cell fraction, frozen cells are thawed at 37° C., diluted with a complete medium and recovered by centrifugation to remove the DMSO. Cells are resuspended in a complete medium and plated at a concentration of about 5,000 cells/cm². Following 24 hours in culture, nonadherent cells are removed and the adherent cells are harvested using Trypsin/EDTA, dissociated by passage through a narrowed Pasteur pipette, and preferably replated at a density of about 1.5 to about 3.0 cells/cm². Under these conditions, MSC cultures can grow for about 50 population doublings and be expanded for about 2000 fold [Colter D C., et al. Rapid expansion of recycling stem cells in cultures of plastic-adherent cells from human bone marrow. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 97: 3213-3218, 2000].

MSC cultures utilized by the present invention preferably include three groups of cells, which are defined by their morphological features: small and agranular cells (referred to as RS-1, herein below), small and granular cells (referred to as RS-2, herein below) and large and moderately granular cells (referred to as mature MSCs, herein below). The presence and concentration of such cells in culture can be assayed by identifying a presence or absence of various cell surface markers, by using, for example, immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, and activity assays.

When MSCs are cultured under the culturing conditions of the present invention they exhibit negative staining for the hematopoietic stem cell markers CD34, CD11B, CD43 and CD45. A small fraction of cells (less than 10%) are dimly positive for CD31 and/or CD38 markers. In addition, mature MSCs are dimly positive for the hematopoietic stem cell marker, CD117 (c-Kit), moderately positive for the osteogenic MSCs marker, Stro-1 [Simmons, P. J. & Torok-Storb, B. (1991). Blood 78, 5562] and positive for the thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes marker, CD90 (Thy-1). On the other hand, the RS-1 cells are negative for the CD117 and Stro1 markers and are dimly positive for the CD90 marker, and the RS-2 cells are negative for all of these markers.

Other cells, which may be used as an effective source for whole cell membrane fraction include, but are not limited to, endothelial cells, hepatic cells, pancreatic cells, bone cells, chondrocytes, neuronal cells and the like.

The cells can be used native (i.e., not manipulated by genetic modification) or genetically modified to manipulate the membrane composition of the cell.

The advantage of genetic modification is in its increased efficiency. Essentially all (>95%) the CDLs generated from genetically modified cells express the gene-of-interest. The gene-of-interest may be constitutively expressed on the cell source (by integration to the cells genome) or transiently expressed (episomal expression) such as to avoid hazardous implications of stable transfection agents (e.g., lentiviral and retroviral vectors).

Thus, the cells may be genetically modified to express a gene-of-interest (i.e., not naturally expressed in the native membrane but also in order to enhance the expression of endogenous proteins that are naturally expressed on the cell's membrane but in lower levels).

According to specific embodiments, the gene-of-interest encodes a membrane protein. The gene-of-interest may be a native membrane protein or modified to have a membrane localization signal and other motifs needed for membrane anchorage e.g., a transmembrane domain.

Examples of membrane proteins which may be heterologously (exogenously) expressed include, but are not limited to, a targeting protein (e.g., antibodies, receptors, membrane anchored ligands, decoys), a protein which affects the chemistry of the membrane (e.g., structural proteins, charged proteins), a diagnostic protein (e.g., an enzyme as described in length below) and a therapeutic protein (as described in length below).

A targeting moiety includes a targeting protein such as an antibody, a receptor ligand and a non-proteinecious molecule such as carbohydrates, which binds cell surface or extra-cellular matrix markers. For example, prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) that is over-expressed on prostate cancer cells can be targeted by its ligand NAAG³ conjugated to a transmembranal motif (e.g, truncated LIME)⁴. This may be achieved, by genetically engineering the cells (of which the CDLs are derived from) to express the chimeric or natural form of NAAG. For example, the expression plasmid encoding LIME is constructed by PCR and subsequent insertion of the corresponding fragment into pcDNA3.1 (Invitrogen). The primers also have BamHI (5′ primer and 3′ primer) site extension to facilitate the subcloning. The PCR product is digested with BamHI and inserted into corresponding sites in pcDNA3.1(+) (CLONTECH Laboratories, Inc.). For expression vector encoding LIME-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), the open reading frame can be inserted into plasmid coding LIME such that the NAAG is conjugated trough its N-terminus and maintains its C-terminus free to react with PSMA [i.e., LIME(C)-(N)NAAG-COOH]. Alternatively, expression plasmid encoding NAAG-LIME chimera can be constructed following the method described previously described for CD8-LIME chimera⁵. Fragments corresponding to NAAG and LIME transmembrane region were generated by PCR. Primers encoding the 3′ sequences of the NAAG and the 5′ sequences of the LIME fragment were designed to overlap, such that annealing of the two products yielded a hybrid template. From this template, the chimera is amplified using external primers containing XbaI sites. The NAAG-LIME chimera is inserted into pcDNA3.1(+).

As used herein, the phrase “surface marker”, refers to any chemical structure, which is specifically displayed at uniquely high density, and/or displayed in a unique configuration by a cell surface or extracellular matrix of the target cell/tissue.

For example, the targeting moiety may be useful for targeting to tumor cells. For example, it is generally accepted that the intracellular environment of tumor cells is more alkaline compared to their immediate extracellular environment, which in turn is more acidic than the microenvironment found in the angiogenic blood vessels feeding the tumor. In addition, many previous studies have shown that the surface charges of tumor cells is more negative compared to benign normal cells and even less invasive tumor cells. Accordingly, it may be useful to express membrane-bound enzymes and/or proteins, which will render the liposomes with a positive charge only in the acidic intermediate extracellular environment of the tumor. For example, any membranal protein with a pI of about 7.2-7.4 that falls between the high alkaline pH of the angiogenic blood vessels (pH>7.4) and the low acidic pH of the tumor immediate extracellular environment (pH<7.2) can be used. Such proteins can be specifically identified by cross referencing the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) for human plasma membrane proteins. The expected desirable pI (7.2-7.4) for those proteins can be calculated using the standard iterative algorithm^(10, 11) that gives relatively precise results of pI calculations for raw protein sequences^(12, 13). The algorithm is used in the Compute pI/Mw tool at the ExPASy server. Such liposomes are expected to have negative or neutral charge in the alkaline microenvironment of the angiogenic tumor vessels and positive charge in the more acidic immediate extracellular environment of the tumor. Accordingly, this charge alteration will assist both liposomal extravasation, which is significantly enhanced for negative of neutral particles, and intra-tumor delivery which is more easily accomplished with positively charge particles^(8, 14, 15).

Ample guidance regarding surface markers specifically over-expressed in diseases such as cancer, and antibodies specific for such surface markers is provided in the literature of the art (for example, refer to: A M Scott, C Renner. “Tumour Antigens Recognised by Antibodies.” In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan, London, UK, www(dot)els(dot)net, 2001).

Diseases associated with a target cell/tissue specifically displaying a growth factor receptor/TAA surface marker which are amenable to treatment by the method of the present invention include, for example, some of the numerous diseases which specifically display growth factor receptors/TAAs, such as EGF receptor, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor, insulin like growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor, transferrin receptor, and folic acid receptor. Specific examples of such diseases and the growth factor receptors/TAAs which these specifically display are listed in Table 1, below.

TABLE 1 Review reference Malignancy type Receptor* Kim, E. S. et al., 2001. Malignant glioma, glioblastoma, EGF Curr Opin Oncol 13, head and neck, breast, colon, receptor 506-13; Kuan et al., 2000. lung, prostate, kidney, ovary, Brain Tumor Pathol. brain, pancreas, bladder 2000; 17: 71-8 George, D., 2001. Semin Brain, prostate PDGF Oncol 28, 27-33 receptor Wang, Y., and Sun, Y., Breast, lung, colon, prostate IGF 2002. Curr Cancer Drug receptor Targets 2, 191-207 Rosen, L. S., 2001. Solid tumors, acute and chronic VEGF Cancer J 7 Suppl 3, leukemias, myeloproliferative receptor S120-8; Giles, F. J., 2001. diseases, multiple myeloma, Oncologist 6, 32-9 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and Hodgkin's disease Lappi, D. A., 1995. Semin Melanoma, Caposi sarcoma, FGF Cancer Biol 6, 279-88 pancreas receptor Singh, M., 1999. Curr Leukemia, brain, colon, kidney, Transferrin Pharm Des 5, 443-51 bladder receptor *Abbreviations: EGF—epidermal growth factor, PDGF—platelet derived growth factor, IGF—insulin like growth factor, VEGF—vascular endothelial growth factor, FGF—fibroblast growth factor.

In a preferred embodiment, the ligand is an antibody or an antibody fragment, targeting antigens specific to a receptor on a target cell. Antibodies can be monoclonal antibodies, polyclonal antibodies or antibody fragments, which are target specific. In an embodiment, the antibodies attached to the liposomes are anti-CD19, anti-CD20, or anti-CD22, for specific binding to a B-cell epitope. These antibodies or antibody fragments are typically derived from hybridomas that show positive reactivity toward the affected B-cells. It is contemplated that other antibodies or antibody fragments targeting any other cell in the body can be similarly used. For example, anti-CD19 antibodies are used to target liposome containing an entrapped agent to malignant B-cells. The antibody recognizes a unique epitope, the CD19 surface antigen, on the B-cells.

Methods of expressing heterologous proteins in eukaryotic cells are well known in the art.

Thus, an exogenous polynucleotide sequence designed and constructed to express at least a functional portion of the gene-of-interest may be expressed in the cells from which membranes are later extracted. Accordingly, the exogenous polynucleotide sequence may be a DNA or RNA sequence of the gene-of-interest.

The phrase “functional portion” as used herein refers to part of the encoded protein (i.e., a polypeptide), which exhibits functional properties of the enzyme such as binding to a substrate. For example, the functional portion of an antibody may be the variable region conferring specificity and additional/or alternatively the constant region, i.e., Fc, which may activate complement and induce cell killing. For example, cells can be transfected with genes encoding one or more members from the GPCRs family (e.g., CCR5, CXCR4 etc.) that will render the liposomes targeted against abundant of cellular pathologies including auto-immune and viral diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS).

To express exogenous gene-of-interest in eukaryotic (e.g., mammalian) cells, a polynucleotide sequence encoding the gene-of-interest is preferably ligated into a nucleic acid construct suitable for eukaryotic cell expression. Such a nucleic acid construct includes a promoter sequence for directing transcription of the polynucleotide sequence in the cell in a constitutive or inducible manner.

Constitutive promoters suitable for use for mammalian expression with the present invention are promoter sequences, which are active under most environmental conditions and most types of cells such as the cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Inducible promoters suitable for use with the present invention include for example the inducible promoter of the tetracycline-inducible promoter (Zabala M, et al., Cancer Res. 2004, 64(8): 2799-804).

The nucleic acid construct (also referred to herein as an “expression vector”) of the present invention includes additional sequences, which render this vector suitable for replication and integration in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, or preferably both (e.g., shuttle vectors). In addition, a typical cloning vector may also contain a transcription and translation initiation sequence, transcription and translation terminator and a polyadenylation signal. By way of example, such constructs will typically include a 5′ LTR, a tRNA binding site, a packaging signal, an origin of second-strand DNA synthesis, and a 3′ LTR or a portion thereof.

The nucleic acid construct of the present invention typically includes a signal sequence for directing the translated polypeptide to the membrane and additionally a membrane anchor domain such as a transmembrane domain or a lipid based anchor (e.g., GPI).

Eukaryotic promoters typically contain two types of recognition sequences, the TATA box and upstream promoter elements. The TATA box, located 25-30 base pairs upstream of the transcription initiation site, is thought to be involved in directing RNA polymerase to begin RNA synthesis. The other upstream promoter elements determine the rate at which transcription is initiated.

Preferably, the promoter utilized by the nucleic acid construct of the present invention is active in the specific cell population transformed. Examples of cell type-specific and/or tissue-specific promoters include promoters such as albumin that is liver specific [Pinkert et al., (1987) Genes Dev. 1:268-277], lymphoid specific promoters [Calame et al., (1988) Adv. Immunol. 43:235-275]; in particular promoters of T-cell receptors [Winoto et al., (1989) EMBO J. 8:729-733] and immunoglobulins; [Banerji et al. (1983) Cell 33729-740], neuron-specific promoters such as the neurofilament promoter [Byrne et al. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:5473-5477], pancreas-specific promoters [Edlunch et al. (1985) Science 230:912-916] or mammary gland-specific promoters such as the milk whey promoter (U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,316 and European Application Publication No. 264,166).

Enhancer elements can stimulate transcription up to 1,000 fold from linked homologous or heterologous promoters. Enhancers are active when placed downstream or upstream from the transcription initiation site. Many enhancer elements derived from viruses have a broad host range and are active in a variety of tissues. For example, the SV40 early gene enhancer is suitable for many cell types. Other enhancer/promoter combinations that are suitable for the present invention include those derived from polyoma virus, human or murine cytomegalovirus (CMV), the long term repeat from various retroviruses such as murine leukemia virus, murine or Rous sarcoma virus and HIV. See, Enhancers and Eukaryotic Expression, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. 1983, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In the construction of the expression vector, the promoter is preferably positioned approximately the same distance from the heterologous transcription start site as it is from the transcription start site in its natural setting. As is known in the art, however, some variation in this distance can be accommodated without loss of promoter function.

Polyadenylation sequences can also be added to the expression vector in order to increase the efficiency of mRNA translation. Two distinct sequence elements are required for accurate and efficient polyadenylation: GU or U rich sequences located downstream from the polyadenylation site and a highly conserved sequence of six nucleotides, AAUAAA, located 11-30 nucleotides upstream. Termination and polyadenylation signals that are suitable for the present invention include those derived from SV40.

In addition to the elements already described, the expression vector of the present invention may typically contain other specialized elements intended to increase the level of expression of cloned nucleic acids or to facilitate the identification of cells that carry the recombinant DNA. For example, a number of animal viruses contain DNA sequences that promote the extra chromosomal replication of the viral genome in permissive cell types. Plasmids bearing these viral replicons are replicated episomally as long as the appropriate factors are provided by genes either carried on the plasmid or with the genome of the host cell.

The vector may or may not include a eukaryotic replicon. If a eukaryotic replicon is present, then the vector is amplifiable in eukaryotic cells using the appropriate selectable marker. If the vector does not comprise a eukaryotic replicon, no episomal amplification is possible. Instead, the recombinant DNA integrates into the genome of the engineered cell, where the promoter directs expression of the desired nucleic acid.

The expression vector of the present invention can further include additional polynucleotide sequences that allow, for example, the translation of several proteins from a single mRNA such as an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and sequences for genomic integration of the promoter-chimeric polypeptide.

Examples for mammalian expression vectors include, but are not limited to, pcDNA3, pcDNA3.1(+/−), pGL3, pZeoSV2(+/−), pSecTag2, pDisplay, pEF/myc/cyto, pCMV/myc/cyto, pCR3.1, pSinRep5, DH26S, DHBB, pNMT1, pNMT41, pNMT81, which are available from Invitrogen, pCI which is available from Promega, pMbac, pPbac, pBK-RSV and pBK-CMV which are available from Strategene, pTRES which is available from Clontech, and their derivatives.

Expression vectors containing regulatory elements from eukaryotic viruses such as lentiviruses and retroviruses can be also used. SV40 vectors include pSVT7 and pMT2. Vectors derived from bovine papilloma virus include pBV-1MTHA, and vectors derived from Epstein Bar virus include pHEBO, and p2O5. Other exemplary vectors include pMSG, pAV009/A⁺, pMTO10/A⁺, pMAMneo-5, baculovirus pDSVE, and any other vector allowing expression of proteins under the direction of the SV-40 early promoter, SV-40 later promoter, metallothionein promoter, murine mammary tumor virus promoter, Rous sarcoma virus promoter, polyhedrin promoter, or other promoters shown effective for expression in eukaryotic cells.

Alternatively, cells, membranes, ghosts or CDLs (either of which may be native or genetically modified), may be chemically treated such as to present a protein, a saccharide, a synthetic polymer, a peptide or any combination of same. Methods of modifying the membrane with a synthetic polymer are described herein below and in the examples section, which follows. Such a chemical attachment may be effected at any stage from live cultured or suspended cells to produced CDLs.

For example, the CDLs may be also chemically conjugated with folate that may further enhance their targeting and attachment to tumor cells, which are known to express higher levels of folate receptors compared to benign cells.

According to another example, it is also possible to permanently modulate the CDLs to have a more positive surface charge by treating them with cations, salts or polycations (e.g., Polybrene®, polyethyleneimine and Poly-L-Lysine) rendering them more positive to better target the tumor angiogenic vasculature.

Non-native material can be also introduced to the surface of the CDLs by fusion (e.g., PEG or detergent induced) with other liposomes (e.g., cell-derived or synthetic) that may be comprised of well characterized lipids, proteins and additives. Such fusion, creating hybrid CDLs, can be used to conjugate any moieties (e.g., targeting, therapeutic, diagnostic, stealth-rendering etc.) to the CDLs and to alter their surface properties. See Example 5 for further guidance on liposomal fusion.

Synthetic polymers are typically used to prevent or reduce coagulation, increase dispersion, reduce interaction with blood components, evade non-specific uptake by the mononuclear phagocytic system and prolong the particle circulation time to a large extent thus, rendering the liposomes with properties and features that are commonly referred to as stealth properties or long-circulating liposomes. Accordingly, the pH nano-environment at the particle surface may also be dependent upon the length of these molecules.

There are numerous polymers, which may be attached to lipids. Polymers typically used as lipid modifiers include, without being limited thereto: polyethylene glycol (PEG), polysialic acid, polylactic (also termed polylactide), polyglycolic acid (also termed polyglycolide), apolylactie-polyglycolic acid′ polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polymethoxazoline, polyethyloxazoline, polyllydroxyetlyloxazolille, solyhydroxypryloxazoline, polyaspartarllide, polyhydroxypropyl methacrylamide, polymethacrylamide, polydimethylacrylamide, polyvinylmethylether, polyhydroxyethyl acrylate, derivatized celluloses such as hydroxymethylcellulose or hydroxyethylcellulose.

The polymers may be employed as homopolymers or as block or random copolymers.

The most commonly used and commercially available lipids derivatized into lipopolymers are those based on phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), usually distearylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE).

A specific family of lipopolymers, which may be employed by the invention include PEG-DSPE (with different lengths of PEG chains) in which the PEG polymer is linked to the lipid via a carbamate linkage and Polyethyleneglycol distearoylglycerol. The PEG moiety headgroup preferably has a molecular weight from about 750 Da to about 20,000 Da. More preferably, the molecular weight is from about 750 Da to about 12, 000 Da and most preferably between about 1,000 Da to about 5,000 Da. Two exemplary DSPE-PEG are those wherein PEG has a molecular weight of 2000 Da, and of 5000a designated herein DSPE-PEG(2000) (DSPE-PEG2k) and DSPE-PEG(5000) (DSPE-PEG5k).

Specific families of lipopolymers, which may be also employed by the invention, include C8 and C16 mPEG Ceramides (with different lengths of PEG chains) in which the PEG-Ceramides contain ester linkages between the PEG and ceramide moieties that allow the compound to be easily metabolized. The PEG moiety headgroup preferably has a molecular weight from about 750 Da to about 2,000 Da. More preferably, the molecular weight is about 2,000 Da.

Conventional post-insertion PEGylation of common liposomes requires heating or solublization in a detergent containing solution that might damage surface proteins and lead to encapsulate leakage. Therefore, CDLs may be also PEGylated by the two following described methods or their combination. Primarily, PEGylated CDLs will be prepared by detergent-dialysis incorporation of PEGylated lipids into the ghost cell membrane (prior to CDLs preparation). Following, direct PEGylation of the CDLs may be performed with monomethoxy-PEG activated by succinimidyl succinate, which has been proven to increase the transfection efficiency and reduce serum mediated inactivation of PEGylated lentiviral particles, used as gene transduction vectors¹⁶.

Chemical binding of non-proteinaceous components (e.g., synthetic polymers, carbohydrates and the like) to the liposomal surface may be employed. Thus, a non-proteinaceous moiety, may be covalently or non-covalently linked to, embedded or adsorbed onto the liposome using any linking or binding method and/or any suitable chemical linker known in the art. The exact type and chemical nature of such cross-linkers and cross linking methods is preferably adapted to the type of affinity group used and the nature of the liposome. Methods for binding or adsorbing or linking the enzyme and/or targeting moiety are also well known in the art.

For example, the enzyme and/or targeting moiety may be attached to a group at the interface via, but not limited to, polar groups such as amino, SH, hydroxyl, aldehyde, formyl, carboxyl, His-tag or other polypeptides. In addition, the enzyme and/or targeting moiety may be attached via, but not limited to, active groups such as succinimidyl succinate, cyanuric chloride, tosyl activated groups, imidazole groups, CNBr, NHS, Activated CH, ECH, EAH, Epoxy, Thiopropyl, Activated Thiol, etc. Moreover, the enzyme and/or targeting moiety may be attached via, but not limited to, hydrophobic bonds (Van Der Waals) or electrostatic interactions that may or may not include cross-linking agents (e.g., bivalent anions, poly-anions, poly-cations etc.).

Once the cell source is available the liposomes are made. Thus, there is provided a method of producing liposomes comprising,

-   -   (a) subjecting cells to hypotonic conditions, so as to obtain         ruptured cell membranes and/or ghost cells (also termed ghosts);         and     -   (b) homogenizing the ruptured cell membranes and/or ghosts to         thereby produce liposomes.

The method may be practiced according to other well accepted protocols known in the art such as that of Boone, C. W., Ford, L. E., Bond, H. E., Stuart, D. C. & Lorenz, D. Isolation of plasma membrane fragments from HeLa cells. J Cell Biol 41, 378-392 (1969); and Westerman and Jensen Methods Enzymol. 2003; 373:118-27 (each of which is incorporated herein by reference) with or without modifications.

As used herein, the term “ghosts” refers to a cell that all of its cytoplasmic contents and/or nucleolus were removed by cell lysis and/or membrane rapture so that only its outer cytoplasmatic/cell membrane remains; and

Without being bound to a specific protocol it is suggested in a specific embodiment that liposomes of the present invention are made in a step-wise manner. First, plasma membranes are isolated from cells (10⁹ cells) primarily by using hypotonic treatment such that the cell ruptures and ghost cells are formed. Alternatively, ghost cells can be formed using mild sonication, freeze-thaw, French-press, needle-passaging or solublization in detergent-containing solutions. According to a specific embodiment hypotonic treatment is effected in Tris-magnesium buffer (e.g., pH 7.4 or pH 8.6 at 4° C., pH adjustment made with HCl). Cell swelling is monitored by phase-contrast microscopy. Once the cells swell and ghosts are formed, the suspension is placed in a homogenizer. Typically, about 95% cell rupture is sufficient. The membranes/ghosts are then placed in Sucrose (0.25 M or higher) for preservation. To avoid adherence, the ghosts are placed in plastic tubes and centrifuged. A laminated pellet is produced in which the topmost lighter gray lamina consists only entirely of ghosts. However, the entire pellet is processed, to increase yields. Centrifugation (e.g., 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C.) and washing (e.g., 20 volumes of Tris magnesium/TM-sucrose pH 7.4) may be repeated.

In the next step, the ghost fraction is separated by floatation in a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. A small excess of supernatant is left over the washed pellet, which now contains ghosts, nuclei, and incompletely ruptured whole cells. Additional 60% w/w sucrose in TM, pH 8.6 is added to the suspension to give a reading of 45% sucrose on a refractometer. After this step, all solutions contain TM pH 8.6. 15 ml of suspension are placed in SW-25.2 cellulose nitrate tubes and discontinuous gradient is formed over the suspension by adding 15 ml layers, respectively, of 40% and 35% w/w sucrose, and then adding 5 ml of TM-sucrose (0.25 M). The material is now centrifuged at 20,000 rpm for 10 min, 4° C. The nuclei sediment form a pellet, the incompletely ruptured whole cells are collect at the 40%-45% interface, and the ghosts are collected at the 35%-40% interface. The ghosts are collected and pooled.

In the next step, the ghosts are homogenized such as by sonication which may be followed by extrusion.

A specific sonication protocol relates to 5 second sonication using an MSE sonicator with microprobe at an amplitude setting of 8 (Instrumentation Associates, N.Y.). This short period of sonication is enough to cause the plasma membrane of the ghosts to break up into cell derived liposomes (CDLs). Under these specific conditions organelle membranes are not disrupted and these are removed by centrifugation (3,000 rpm, 15 min 4° C.). Plasma membrane vesicles (CDLs) are then purified by sedimentation in a continuous sucrose density gradient.

Liposomes comprising one or more pharmaceutical agent of the present invention are preferably in the size range of 20-1000 nm e.g., 30-1000 nm, 0.02-1.0 μm, more preferably 0.05-1.0 μm, more preferably 0.07-0.5 μm and more preferably 0.1-0.3 μm. An advantage of liposomes smaller or about 0.2 μm is that they can easily permeate through tumor vasculature (due to the EPR effect), they are not readily uptaken by macrophages and they can undergo filter sterilization.

Extrusion of liposomes through a commercially available polycarbonate membrane (e.g., from Sterlitech, Washington) or an asymmetric ceramic membrane (e.g., Membralox), commercially available from Pall Execia, France is an effective method for reducing liposome sizes to a relatively well defined size distribution. Typically, the suspension is cycled through the membrane one or more times until the desired liposome size distribution is achieved. The liposomes may be extruded through successively smaller pore membranes (e.g., 400 nm, 100 nm and/or 50 nm pore size) to achieve a gradual reduction in liposome size and uniform distribution.

At any step prior to the homogenization, sonication and/or extrusion, that is, typically following ghosts preparation, a pharmaceutical agent may be added to the reaction mixture such that the resultant liposomes encapsulate the pharmaceutical agent.

As used herein the phrase “pharmaceutical agent” refers to a therapeutic agent or diagnostic agent, which can be used to treat or diagnose a medical condition, respectively.

According to a specific embodiment, the composition comprising the pharmaceutical agent and the liposome is hypo or non-immunogenic especially when the cell source is a mesenchymal stem cell.

Thus, the liposome of the present invention may have a pharmaceutical agent adsorbed to a surface thereof or encapsulated therein either within the intra-liposomal polar phase or the lamellar non-polar lipid phase.

Methods of conjugating molecules (e.g., targeting moieties, pharmaceutical agents, synthetic polymers and the like) to liposomes are well known in the art. For example, a the pharmaceutical agent (or any other molecule) may be attached, conjugated or adsorbed to surface of the liposomes, ghosts or the cells of which the liposomes derive from based on hydrophobic interactions (Van Der Waals bonds) or electrostatic interactions with or without the use of cross-linking agents (e.g. anions and poly-anions). Hydrophobic and/or amphipathic pharmaceutical agent (or any other hydrophobic and/or amphipathic molecule) may be soulibilized, partially soulibilized or partitioned into the cells, ghosts or liposomal lipid membranes with or without the use of detergent and/or by detergent dialysis. A pharmaceutical agent (or any other molecule) may be attached, conjugated or adsorbed to surface of the liposomes, ghosts or the cells of which the liposomes derive from based on covalent bonds with active groups. A pharmaceutical agent may be attached, conjugated or adsorbed to surface of the liposomes, ghosts or the cells of which the liposomes derive from as a conjugate of an antibody or part of that specifically recognized a natural moiety found on the liposomes, ghosts or cells. For example, pharmaceutical agent may be adsorbed to the surface (inner or outer) of the liposomes via, but not limited to, polar groups such as amino, SH, hydroxyl, aldehyde, formyl, carboxyl, His-tag or other polypeptides. In addition, the pharmaceutical agents may be adsorbed via, but not limited to, active groups such as succinimidyl succinate, cyanuric chloride, tosyl activated groups, imidazole groups, CNBr, NHS, Activated CH, ECH, EAH, Epoxy, Thiopropyl, Activated Thiol, etc.

Entrapped in, adsorbed, expressed, conjugated, attached, and/or solubilized on the liposomes' surface or membrane is a therapeutic agent for delivery to the target cells and/or tissues by one or more of ,but not limited to, the following mechanisms:

Direct intracellular delivery of the agent by means of membrane fusion between the liposomes and cells and/or liposomal uptake by endocytosis, phagocytosis or by any kind of transmembranal transport mechanism.

Diffusion and/or leakage of the agent from the liposome and consequent binding to the surface of the target cells/tissue and/or uptake into the target cell/tissue by diffusion, endocytosis, phagocytosis or by any kind of transmembranal transport mechanism.

Binding to the surface of the target cells and/or tissues of an agent which is permanently, constantly or transiently expressed, attached, adsorbed, conjugated and/or solubilized on the liposomes' surface or membrane.

A variety of therapeutic agents can be entrapped in lipid vesicles, including water-soluble agents that can be stably encapsulated in the aqueous compartment of the liposome, lipophilic compounds that stably partition in the lipid phase of the vesicles, or agents that can be stably or transiently attached, conjugated, adsorbed or expressed on to the outer or inner surfaces of the liposomes, e.g., by electrostatic, covalent or hydrophobic interactions.

Exemplary water-soluble compounds include small molecules (i.e., less than 1000 Daltons) or large molecules (i.e., above 1000 Daltons); biomolecules (e.g. proteinaceous molecules, including, but not limited to, peptide, polypeptide, post-translationally modified protein, antibodies etc.) or a nucleic acid molecule (e.g. double-stranded DNA, single-stranded DNA, ds/ss RNA (e.g., siRNA, antisense, ribozymes), or triple helix nucleic acid molecules or chemicals. Therapeutic agents may be natural products derived from any known organism (including, but not limited to, animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, protista, or viruses) or from a library of synthetic molecules. Therapeutic agents can be monomeric as well as polymeric compounds.

As mentioned above, the therapeutic agent may be a protein, such as an enzyme which compensates for loss in activity or poor expression of an endogenous enzyme e.g., the enzyme hexosaminidase A, a shortage of which results in Tay-Sachs disease.

Examples of therapeutic agents which may be delivered across a blood barrier to the brain, eye, testis or mammary gland include, but are not limited to antibiotic agents, anti-neoplastic agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antiparasitic agents, antifungal agents, antimycobacterial agents, antiviral agents, anticoagulant agents, radiotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents, cytotoxic agents, cytostatic agents, vasodilating agents, anti-oxidants, analeptic agents, anti-convulsant agents, antihistamine agents, neurotrophic agents, psychotherapeutic agents, anxiolytic sedative agents, stimulant agents, sedative agents, analgesic agents, anesthetic agents, birth control agents, neurotransmitter agents, neurotransmitter analog agents, scavenging agents and fertility-enhancing agents.

The liposome-entrapped compound may also be a diagnostic agent such as an imaging or a contrast agent as indium and technetium, enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase, MRI contrast media containing gadolinium, X-ray contrast media containing iodine, ultrasonography contrast media such as CO₂, europium derivatives, fluorescent substances such as carboxyfluorescein and illuminants such as N-methylacrydium derivatives.

Once the liposomes are formed (i.e., with or without a pharmaceutical agent), they may be characterized for their size distribution, composition, concentration, zeta potential, electrical surface potential, surface (local) pH, protein to lipid ratio and therapeutic efficacy in vitro and in vivo.

Experimentally tested liposomes of the present invention have the following size values as described on Table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Without PEGylation: With PEGylation: Avg. by number 30 nm Avg. by number 100 nm Avg. by volume 200 nm Avg. by volume 215 nm Aggregation factor: 200/30 = 7 Aggregation factor: 215/100 = 2

Empty liposomes or liposomes comprising one or more pharmaceutical agent of the present invention are preferably in the size range of 30-3000-nm, more preferably 50-500 nm, more preferably 30-300 nm, more preferably 50-200 nm and more preferably 70-150 nm. An advantage of liposomes smaller or about 100-nm is its ability to penetrate through very narrow blood vessels which is of great significance in diagnostic and treatment.

Any method known in the art can be used to determine the size of the liposome. For example, a Nicomp Submicron Particle Sizer (model 370, Nicomp, Santa Barbara, Calif.) utilizing laser light scattering can be used. Other methods of measuring liposome size include photocorrelation spectroscopy, laser diffraction, low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS), medium-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), light obscuration methods (Coulter method, for example), rheology, or microscopy (light or electron). The preferred average effective particle size depends on factors such as the intended route of administration, formulation, solubility, toxicity and bioavailability of the compound.

Values of Zeta potential in experimentally tested liposomes are provided infra. CDLs without PEGylation −17.9 to −15.5 mV.

With PEGylation (of ghosts-indirect): −13.2 mV. With PEGylation (of CDls-direct): −10.2 mV.

Thus, liposomes of the present invention are characterized by a zeta potential of −20 to −15 mV without PEGylation and −15 to −10 mV with PEGylation.

As mentioned, liposomes of the present invention are advantageously used in the clinic.

Thus, according to an aspect of the invention there is provided a method of delivering a pharmaceutical agent, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof the above-describe liposome, wherein the pharmaceutical agent is enclosed therein or adsorbed thereon, thereby delivering the pharmaceutical agent.

According to an embodiment, the cells are target cells and the liposomes contain a targeting moiety, either chemically conjugated, heterologously added, as described above, or natively presented in the membranes from which the liposome is comprised (e.g., as in MSCs, which migrate to tumor cells).

The cell source for the liposomes may be autologous or non-autologous (e.g., allogeneic, xenogeneic) to the subject.

The “target cell” referred to herein is a cell or a cluster of cells (of homogenous or heterogeneous population) and/or tissue to which a substance is to be delivered by using the liposome. Examples thereof include cancer cells, vascular endothelial cells of angiogenic cancer tissues, cancer stem cells, interstitial cells of cancer tissues, cells affected by genetic abnormality, cells infected by a pathogen and the like. The “target molecule” may be any molecule presented the surface of the target cells or cells adjacent to the target cells. Another form of the target molecule includes molecules which are released from cells. Examples thereof includes extracellular matrix components, secretions or architectures of cancer cells or interstitial cells of cancer tissues, and specific examples thereof include tumor markers, structures between cells and the like.

Delivering can be for diagnostic reasons (e.g., the liposome includes a diagnostic agent) or for treating (i.e., as a drug delivery tool, delivering a therapeutic agent).

The liposomes may be administered to the subject per se, or as part of a pharmaceutical composition.

As used herein a “pharmaceutical composition” refers to a preparation of one or more of the active ingredients described herein with other chemical components such as physiologically suitable carriers and excipients. The purpose of the pharmaceutical composition is to facilitate administration of the active ingredients to the subject.

Herein the term “active ingredient” refers to the therapeutic agent (with or without the liposome) accountable for the biological effect. It is to be appreciated that the liposome per se may have immunomodulatory function such as when prepared from membranes of MSCs or other immunomodulatory cells (e.g., immune B and T lymphocytes etc.). It is also to be appreciated that the liposome per se may have a cytoxoic effect on the target cells as due to membrane fusion with target cells and consequent disruption to cell membrane, cytoskeleton and functions. In such a case measures are taken to include a targeting moiety such that the cytotoxic effect becomes specific.

Hereinafter, the phrases “physiologically acceptable carrier” and “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” which may be interchangeably used refer to a carrier or a diluent that does not cause significant irritation to the subject and does not abrogate the biological activity and properties of the administered active ingredients. An adjuvant is included under these phrases.

Herein, the term “excipient” refers to an inert substance added to the pharmaceutical composition to further facilitate administration of an active ingredient of the present invention or to increase shelf-life stability. Examples, without limitation, of excipients include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, various sugars and salts and types of starch, cellulose derivatives, gelatin, vegetable oils, EDTA, EGTA, Poly-L-Lysine, polyethyleneimine, Polybrene (hexadimethrine bromide), polyethylene glycols and other poly or single anions. The pharmaceutical composition may advantageously take the form of foam, aerosol or a gel.

Techniques for formulation and administration of drugs may be found in “Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences,” Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa., latest edition, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Suitable routes of administration include any of various suitable systemic and/or local routes of administration.

Suitable routes of administration may, for example, include the inhalation, oral, buccal, rectal, transmucosal, topical, transdermal, intradermal, transnasal, intestinal and/or parenteral routes; the intramuscular, subcutaneous and/or intramedullary injection routes; the intrathecal, direct intraventricular, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intranasal, and/or intraocular injection routes, Catheterization with or without angio balloons; and/or the route of direct injection into a tissue region of the subject.

The pharmaceutical composition may be manufactured by processes well known in the art, e.g., by means of conventional mixing, dissolving, granulating, dragee-making, levigating, emulsifying, encapsulating, entrapping or lyophilizing processes.

Pharmaceutical compositions for use in accordance with the present invention thus may be formulated in conventional manner using one or more physiologically acceptable carriers comprising excipients and auxiliaries, which facilitate processing of the active ingredients into preparations which, can be used pharmaceutically. Proper formulation is dependent upon the route of administration chosen.

For injection, the active ingredients of the pharmaceutical composition may be formulated in aqueous solutions, preferably in physiologically compatible buffers such as Hank's solution, Ringer's solution, or physiological salt buffer.

For transmucosal administration, penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation. Such penetrants are generally known in the art.

For oral administration, the pharmaceutical composition can be formulated readily by combining the active ingredients with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers well known in the art. Such carriers enable the pharmaceutical composition to be formulated as tablets, pills, dragees, capsules, liquids, gels, syrups, slurries, suspensions, and the like, for oral ingestion by a patient. Pharmacological preparations for oral use can be made using a solid excipient, optionally grinding the resulting mixture, and processing the mixture of granules, after adding suitable auxiliaries if desired, to obtain tablets or dragee cores. Suitable excipients are, in particular, fillers such as sugars, including lactose, sucrose, mannitol, or sorbitol; cellulose preparations such as, for example, maize starch, wheat starch, rice starch, potato starch, gelatin, gum tragacanth, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose, sodium carbomethylcellulose; and/or physiologically acceptable polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). If desired, disintegrating agents may be added, such as cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, agar, or alginic acid or a salt thereof such as sodium alginate.

Dragee cores are provided with suitable coatings. For this purpose, concentrated sugar solutions may be used which may optionally contain gum arabic, talc, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, carbopol gel, polyethylene glycol, titanium dioxide, lacquer solutions and suitable organic solvents or solvent mixtures. Dyestuffs or pigments may be added to the tablets or dragee coatings for identification or to characterize different combinations of active ingredient doses.

Pharmaceutical compositions which can be used orally include push-fit capsules made of gelatin as well as soft, sealed capsules made of gelatin and a plasticizer, such as glycerol or sorbitol. The push-fit capsules may contain the active ingredients in admixture with filler such as lactose, binders such as starches, lubricants such as talc or magnesium stearate and, optionally, stabilizers. In soft capsules, the active ingredients may be dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids, such as fatty oils, liquid paraffin, or liquid polyethylene glycols. In addition, stabilizers may be added. All formulations for oral administration should be in dosages suitable for the chosen route of administration.

For buccal administration, the compositions may take the form of tablets or lozenges formulated in conventional manner.

For administration via the inhalation route, the active ingredients for use according to the present invention can be delivered in the form of an aerosol/spray presentation from a pressurized pack or a nebulizer with the use of a suitable propellant, e.g., a fluorochlorohydrocarbon such as dichlorodifluoromethane, trichlorofluoromethane, dichloro-tetrafluoroethane; carbon dioxide; or a volatile hydrocarbon such as butane, propane, isobutane, or mixtures thereof. In the case of a pressurized aerosol, the dosage unit may be determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount. Capsules and cartridges of, e.g., gelatin for use in a dispenser may be formulated containing a powder mix of the active ingredients and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch.

The pharmaceutical composition may be formulated for parenteral administration, e.g., by bolus injection or continuous infusion. Formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form, e.g., in ampoules or in multidose containers with optionally, an added preservative. The compositions may be suspensions, solutions or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles, and may contain formulatory agents such as suspending, stabilizing and/or dispersing agents.

A pharmaceutical composition for parenteral administration may include an aqueous solution of the active ingredients in water-soluble form. Additionally, suspensions of the active ingredients may be prepared as appropriate oily or water based injection suspensions. Suitable lipophilic solvents or vehicles include fatty oils such as sesame oil, or synthetic fatty acids esters such as ethyl oleate, triglycerides or liposomes. Aqueous injection suspensions may contain substances, which increase the viscosity of the suspension, such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, sorbitol or dextran. Optionally, the suspension may also contain suitable stabilizers or agents which increase the solubility of the active ingredients to allow for the preparation of highly concentrated solutions.

Alternatively, the active ingredients may be in powder form for constitution with a suitable vehicle, e.g., sterile, pyrogen-free water based solution, before use.

The pharmaceutical composition may also be formulated in rectal compositions such as suppositories or retention enemas, using, e.g., conventional suppository bases such as cocoa butter or other glycerides.

The pharmaceutical composition should contain the active ingredients in an amount effective to achieve disease treatment.

Determination of a therapeutically effective amount is well within the capability of those skilled in the art, especially in light of the detailed disclosure provided herein.

For any preparation used in the methods of the invention, the therapeutically effective amount or dose can be estimated initially from in vitro and cell culture and in vivo assays. For example, a dose can be formulated in animal models to achieve a desired concentration or titer. Such information can be used to more accurately determine useful doses in humans.

Toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of the active ingredients described herein can be determined by standard pharmaceutical procedures in vitro, in cell cultures or experimental animals. The data obtained from these in vitro and cell culture assays and animal studies can be used in formulating a range of dosage for use in human. The dosage may vary depending upon the dosage form employed and the route of administration utilized. The exact formulation, route of administration and dosage can be chosen by the individual physician in view of the patient's condition. (See e.g., Fingl, et al., 1975, in “The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics”, Ch. 1 p.1).

Dosage amount and interval may be adjusted individually to provide plasma or brain levels of the active ingredients which are sufficient to achieve the desired therapeutic effect (minimal effective concentration, MEC). The MEC will vary for each preparation, but can be estimated from in vitro data. Dosages necessary to achieve the MEC will depend on individual characteristics and route of administration. Detection assays can be used to determine plasma concentrations.

Depending on the severity and responsiveness of the condition to be treated, dosing can be of a single or a plurality of administrations, with course of treatment lasting from several days to several weeks or until cure is effected or diminution of the disease state is achieved.

The amount of the composition to be administered will be dependent on the subject being treated, the severity of the affliction, the manner of administration, the judgment of the prescribing physician, etc.

Compositions of the present invention may, if desired, be presented in a pack or dispenser device, such as an FDA approved kit, which may contain one or more unit dosage forms containing the active ingredients. The pack may, for example, comprise metal or plastic foil, such as a blister pack. The pack or dispenser device may be accompanied by instructions for administration. The pack or dispenser may also be accommodated by a notice associated with the container in a form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating the manufacture, use or sale of pharmaceuticals, which notice is reflective of approval by the agency of the form of the compositions or human or veterinary administration. Such notice, for example, may be of labeling approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for prescription drugs or of an approved product insert.

As used herein the term “about” refers to ±10%.

The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “having” and their conjugates mean “including but not limited to”.

The term “consisting of” means “including and limited to”.

The term “consisting essentially of” means that the composition, method or structure may include additional ingredients, steps and/or parts, but only if the additional ingredients, steps and/or parts do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, method or structure.

As used herein, the singular form “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “a compound” or “at least one compound” may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.

Throughout this application, various embodiments of this invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any cited numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases “ranging/ranges between” a first indicate number and a second indicate number and “ranging/ranges from” a first indicate number “to” a second indicate number are used herein interchangeably and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional and integral numerals there between.

As used herein the term “method” refers to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the chemical, pharmacological, biological, biochemical and medical arts.

As used herein, the term “treating” includes abrogating, substantially inhibiting, slowing or reversing the progression of a condition, substantially ameliorating clinical or aesthetical symptoms of a condition or substantially preventing the appearance of clinical or aesthetical symptoms of a condition.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.

Various embodiments and aspects of the present invention as delineated hereinabove and as claimed in the claims section below find experimental support in the following examples.

EXAMPLES

Reference is now made to the following examples, which together with the above descriptions illustrate some embodiments of the invention in a non limiting fashion.

Generally, the nomenclature used herein and the laboratory procedures utilized in the present invention include molecular, biochemical, microbiological and recombinant DNA techniques. Such techniques are thoroughly explained in the literature. See, for example, “Molecular Cloning: A laboratory Manual” Sambrook et al., (1989); “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology” Volumes I-III Ausubel, R. M., ed. (1994); Ausubel et al., “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology”, John Wiley and Sons, Baltimore, Md. (1989); Perbal, “A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning”, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1988); Watson et al., “Recombinant DNA”, Scientific American Books, New York; Birren et al. (eds) “Genome Analysis: A Laboratory Manual Series”, Vols. 1-4, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York (1998); methodologies as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,828; 4,683,202; 4,801,531; 5,192,659 and 5,272,057; “Cell Biology: A Laboratory Handbook”, Volumes I-III Cellis, J. E., ed. (1994); “Current Protocols in Immunology” Volumes I-III Coligan J. E., ed. (1994); Stites et al. (eds), “Basic and Clinical Immunology” (8th Edition), Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, Conn. (1994); Mishell and Shiigi (eds), “Selected Methods in Cellular Immunology”, W. H. Freeman and Co., New York (1980); available immunoassays are extensively described in the patent and scientific literature, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,791,932; 3,839,153; 3,850,752; 3,850,578; 3,853,987; 3,867,517; 3,879,262; 3,901,654; 3,935,074; 3,984,533; 3,996,345; 4,034,074; 4,098,876; 4,879,219; 5,011,771 and 5,281,521; “Oligonucleotide Synthesis” Gait, M. J., ed. (1984); “Nucleic Acid Hybridization” Hames, B. D., and Higgins S. J., eds. (1985); “Transcription and Translation” Hames, B. D., and Higgins S. J., Eds. (1984); “Animal Cell Culture” Freshney, R. I., ed. (1986); “Immobilized Cells and Enzymes” IRL Press, (1986); “A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning” Perbal, B., (1984) and “Methods in Enzymology” Vol. 1-317, Academic Press; “PCR Protocols: A Guide To Methods And Applications”, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990); Marshak et al., “Strategies for Protein Purification and Characterization—A Laboratory Course Manual” CSHL Press (1996); all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Other general references are provided throughout this document. The procedures therein are believed to be well known in the art and are provided for the convenience of the reader. All the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.

Example 1 Characterization of MSC Migratory and Targeting Abilities

Human MSCs were purchased from Lonza® (Switzerland) and characterized using Giemsa staining and FACS analysis for human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) typical cell surface markers. As seen from FIGS. 1A-1C the cells appear to be positive for CD90, CD105, CD44, and CD29 and negative for CD133, CD31, CD34 and CD144, as expected for hMSCs.

The migratory abilities of the hMSCs towards cancer cells were tested as well. For these experiments, hMSCs were labeled by a red-fluorescent dye (DiI) while several other cell lines (including a prostate cancer cell-line—PC3) were labeled by a green fluorescent dye (DiO). Labeled cells were drop-wise seeded on tissue culture plates, incubated for 72 hrs and imaged using the Maestro in vivo Imager (FIG. 2). As seen, specific migration of hMSCs towards PC3 cancer cells was demonstrated while “avoiding” interaction with other cell-lines (BHK, Cf2Th, and COS-7).

Additional experiments were conducted to validate the targeting abilities of conditioned hMSCs to breast cancer cell-line MCF7. For that, human hMSCs were cultured with or without MCF7-derived conditioning media, labeled with DiI (red) and co-cultured with MCF7 cells labeled with DiO (green). Following 2 hr incubation, cultures were washed and the coverage areas of each cell type and cell overlay (yellow) were determined using fluorescent microscopy image analysis. Assuming that the overlay of DiI and DiO is a consequence of physical interaction between the two cell types, the percent of overlay may represent the amount of membranal interactions between the two cell types. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the incubation of conditioned hMSCs with MCF7 cells resulted in 7% overlay, out of the total cell coverage area, compared to no overlay when using unconditioned hMSCs (p<0.001). This apparent targeting evidently differs from the migration described in FIG. 2 as it is mainly governed by membranal interactions between the hMSCs and the cancerous cells and not based on the migratory abilities of hMSCs that is largely mediated by soluble factors.

Example 2 Characterization of Cell Derived Liposomes Prepared from hMSCs

Cell Derived Liposome preparation—About 10⁷ Cells were harvested and washed with PBS. Cells were then hypotonically treated by re-suspension in ice cold Tris-magnesium (TM buffer, 0.01 M Tris, 0.001 M MgCl₂) pH 7.4 for 15 min at 4° C. Following hypotonic treatment, the cells were homogenized by rotor-stator mechanical homogenizer (IKA®, Taquara, R J, Brazil) for 1 min at 22,000 rpm and turned into ghosts (95% ruptured cell membranes as confirmed by phase-contrast microscopy). For stabilizing the ghosts' suspension, 60% (w/w) sucrose solution was immediately added to the suspension to make a final concentration of 0.25M or 10% by volume. Ghosts were then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The supernatant was discarded and the pellet of ghosts was then washed twice with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 7.4, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. In order to create sonicated ghosts, the re-suspended pellet was then sonicated for 5 seconds at 27% amplitude using VibraCell VCX750 (Sonics & Materials Inc., Newtown, Conn.) and centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The pellet of sonicated ghosts was then washed twice again with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 8.6, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. For the formation of unilamellar liposomes, the resuspeded pellet of sonicated ghosts was manually extruded by 21 successive passages trough polycarbonate membranes with pore sizes of 0.4 μm and 0.1 μm (Osmonics Inc., Minnesota USA). The extruded liposomes were then centrifuged for 45 min at 150,000 g at 4° C. The supernatant was discarded and the resulting liposomes pellet was resuspended with TM buffer pH 8.6.

Cell derived liposomes surface protein PEGylation (according to the method of Croyle, M. A. et al., 2004)—About 10⁷ Cells were harvested and washed with PBS. Cells were then hypotonically treated by re-suspension in ice cold Tris-magnesium (TM buffer, 0.01 M Tris, 0.001 M MgCl₂) pH 7.4 for 15 min at 4° C. Following hypotonic treatment, the cells were homogenized by rotor-stator mechanical homogenizer (IKA®, Taquara, R J, Brazil) for 1 min at 22,000 rpm and turned into ghosts (95% ruptured cell membranes as confirmed by phase-contrast microscopy). For stabilizing the ghosts' suspension, 60% (w/w) sucrose solution was immediately added to the suspension to make a final concentration of 0.25M or 10% by volume. Ghosts were then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The supernatant was discarded and the pellet of ghosts was then washed twice with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 7.4, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. In order to create sonicated ghosts, the re-suspended pellet was then sonicated for 5 seconds at 27% amplitude using VibraCell VCX750 (Sonics & Materials Inc., Newtown, Conn.) and centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The pellet of sonicated ghosts was then washed twice again with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 8.6, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. For the formation of unilamellar liposomes, the resuspeded pellet of sonicated ghosts was manually extruded by 21 successive passages trough polycarbonate membranes with pore sizes of 0.4 μm and 0.1 μm (Osmonics Inc., Minnesota USA). The extruded liposomes were then centrifuged for 45 min at 150,000 g at 4° C. The supernatant was discarded and the resulting liposomes pellet was resuspended with TM buffer pH 8.6.

The protein content on the liposome's surface was determined using the Bradford protein assay, referring to bovine serum albumin (BSA) as standard. Succinimidyl succinate activated Monomethoxy-PEG was obtained from Sigma Chemicals (St. Louis, Mo.) and was added to the resuspended liposomes at a 10:1 ratio relative to the liposomes' protein content as previously determined by the Bradford assay. For example, 10 μg of Monomethoxy-PEG were added for each 1 μg of protein. The conjugation reaction between the Monomethoxy-PEG and the liposomes was performed at 25° C. with gentle agitation. The reaction was stopped by the addition of 10X L-lysine (Sigma Chemicals) with respect to the amount of Monomethoxy-PEG added. Un-reacted free PEG, excess lysine, and reaction byproducts were eliminated by buffer exchange over a Micro-Bio Spin P-30 chromatography column (Bio-Rad) equilibrated with TM buffer pH 8.6.

CDL FACS analysis. Materials—Coupling Buffer—used for pre-washing and conjugating Dynabeads M-280 to the liposomes. The buffer was composed of 0.1M Na-phosphate buffer pH 7.4, 2.62 g NaH₂PO₄×H₂O (MW 137.99) and 14.42 g Na2HPO4×2H2O (MW 177.99) dissolved in distilled water and adjusted to 1 liter. Washing, blocking and Storage Buffer—PBS pH 7.4 with 0.1% (w/v) BSA: Add 0.88 g NaCl (MW 58.4) and 0.1% (w/v) BSA to 80 ml 0.01M Na-phosphate pH 7.4. Mix thoroughly and adjust volume to 100 ml with 0.01M Na-phosphate pH 7.4.

Method: Liposomes were created form 2×10⁷ hMSCs as previously described. Tosyl-activated paramagnetic Dynabeads® M-280 (Invitrogen) were used as they were able to non-specifically and covalently bind any protein and/or liposomes conjugated with proteins and to be later analyzed by flow-cytometry. Using magnetic separation device (MACS, Dynal™ Magnetic Particle Separator—Invitrogen), the beads were washed with the coupling buffer. To increase their ability to conjugate proteins, the beads were then further washed with 3M ammonium sulfate added to the coupling Buffer. later, 4 samples were prepared containing 10⁷ beads each: Beads only, beads with liposomes, beads with liposomes to be labeled with secondary antibody (isotype control) and beads conjugated with liposomes to be labeled with primary and secondary antibody (test sample). About 5×10⁶ cell equivalent liposomes were added to each sample. Liposomes and beads were then incubated for at least 12 hr at 4° C. After attachment, samples were re-suspended in the washing\blocking buffer. Each sample was suspended in total volume of 200 μl. First, mouse MABs anti-human CD29, CD44, CD90 or CD105 were added to the appropriate samples in a ratio 1:100. Samples were incubated for 30 min in RT. Next, samples were washed twice using the magnetic device. Then secondary ABs (FITC-conjugated goat anti mouse) were added and the samples were incubated for 30 min at RT in the dark. All antibodies, primary and secondary, were purchased from BD—Becton, Dickinson and Company. Following washing of the samples as mentioned before, the samples were run and analyzed using FACSCalibur and CellQuest Pro (BD).

Results

PEGylated Cell-Derived Liposomes (PEG-CDLs) are expected to be protected from opsonization and degradation, thus, having stealth properties and longer circulation time in vivo. Also, PEGylation may reduce the risk of non-specific binding and fusion of liposomes as with non-target cells¹⁷⁻¹⁹.

Cryo-TEM imaging of the CDLs demonstrated that the PEGylation had no apparent effect on the desirable small unilamellar morphology of the CDLs (FIGS. 4A-4B). However, the PEGylated liposomes (FIG. 4A) seemed more dispersed and less coagulated than the un-PEGylated liposomes (FIG. 4B), that were imaged at the same concentration and under the same conditions. Apparently, not only that the PEGylation does not damage liposomes' morphology but it may also improve their dispersion and stability. The size and size distribution of the CDLs were further analyzed using number and volume weighing DLS analysis (Dynamic Light Scattering, Malvern Nanosize). While number-weight DLS analysis (FIG. 5A) demonstrated an increase in liposomes' size following PEGylation (from ˜30 nm to ˜100 nm), volume-weight DLS analysis (FIG. 5B) demonstrated that the addition of PEG had a homogenizing effect on the system, exhibiting a significant reduction in the liposomes' size distribution. Evidently, the addition of PEG groups stabilized the system and prevented aggregation even though the Zeta-potential decreased from −17.9 mV to −10.2 mV (FIG. 5C).

Finally, the expression of MSC-specific surface markers, on the surface of hMSCs derived liposomes, was validated by FACS analysis (FIG. 6). As seen, the CDLs retained their cytoplasmatic membrane symmetry and the expression of correctly oriented typical hMSCs surface markers (i.e., CD44, CD29, CD90 and CD105).

Example 3 Binding and Specific Targeting of Cancerous Cell-Lines by CDLs

Confocal microscopy imaging and flow cytometry analysis were used to determine the binding of fluorescently labeled CDLs prepared from hMSCs to prostate cancer cells (PC3). As can be seen from FIG. 7A, most vesicles favored cell binding. In addition, the vesicles were detected inside and fused with the cell membranes (FIG. 7A).

Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates that most cells bind the vesicles (FIG. 8A) in a concentration-dependent manner (FIG. 8A), thus allowing to determine the extent of liposomal binding according to the cells' mean fluorescence intensity.

To test the specific targeting of cancerous cell-lines, DiI-labeled CDLs were prepared from hMSCs, which were previously incubated for 24 hrs with condition media derived from a prostate cancer cell-line (PC3) and from a non-human cell-line (BHK). The resulting “conditioned” CDLs, as well as CDLs prepared from unconditioned hMSCs (control), were incubated with PC3 and BHK cells for 15 min, 1 hr and 3 hrs. Following incubation, cells were washed, harvested and analyzed by flow cytometry (FIG. 9).

The specificity index for every experiment, given a certain conditioning media (NO CM, BHK-derived and PC3-derived) and incubation time (15 min, 1 hr and 3 hrs), was calculated according to the following equation:

$\begin{pmatrix} {Specificity} \\ {index} \end{pmatrix} = \frac{\frac{\begin{matrix} {\%\mspace{14mu}{PC}\; 3\mspace{14mu}{cells}\mspace{14mu}{in}\mspace{14mu}{the}\mspace{14mu}{marker}} \\ {\;{{following}\mspace{14mu} i\;{ncubation}\mspace{14mu}{with}\mspace{14mu}{CDLs}}} \end{matrix}\mspace{11mu}}{\%\mspace{14mu}{PC}\; 3\mspace{14mu}{cells}\mspace{14mu}{in}\mspace{14mu}{the}\mspace{14mu}{marker}\mspace{14mu}{withot}\mspace{14mu}{CDLs}}}{\frac{\begin{matrix} {{\%\mspace{14mu}{BHK}\mspace{14mu}{cells}\mspace{14mu}{in}\mspace{14mu}{the}\mspace{14mu}{marker}}\mspace{11mu}} \\ {\;{{following}\mspace{14mu}{incubation}\mspace{14mu}{with}\mspace{14mu}{CDLs}}} \end{matrix}}{\%\mspace{14mu}{BHK}\mspace{14mu}{cells}\mspace{14mu}{in}\mspace{14mu}{the}\mspace{14mu}{marker}\mspace{14mu}{withot}\mspace{14mu}{CDLs}}}$

The specificity index results, summarized in Table 3 below, not only illustrates that the system exhibits specificity towards cancerous cells but that this specificity, as excepted, decreases with incubation time. In addition, the specificity index values show that the system's specific affinity towards cancer cells can be largely affected by subjecting the cells to various conditioning media prior to CDLs preparation.

TABLE 3 Specificity index of CDLs binding to prostate cancer PC3 cell-line CDL incubation time with hMSCs Conditioning PC3 and BHK cells media 15 min 1 hr 3 hr No CM 1.91 1.50 1.25 BHK derived 3.45 3.43 1.10 PC3 derived 2.92 2.31 1.50

Example 4 Protein Entrapment within CDLs

sTRAIL Production

Mediums and buffers—1L 2YT medium was prepared from 16 gr Bacto™ Tryptone (BD number 211705), 10 gr Bacto™ Yeast Extract (DIFCO number 212750) and 5 gr NaCl (Chemically Pure). Medium used for culturing in Petri dished contained 16 gr Agar Granulated (DIFCO number 214530) on top of the above components. The medium was autoclaved for sterility. PBSX10 was prepred from 2 gr KCl, 2.4 gr KH₂PO₄, 14.4 gr Na₂HPO₄.7H₂O and 80 gr NaCl. Volume was adjusted to 1L with DDW and the buffer was filter sterilized through 0.2 μm filter.

Plasmids, DNA, bacteria and antibiotics—GST-sTRAIL coding DNA was kindly supplied by Dr. Stanley Lipkowitz, Bethesda, Md. in pGEX-2TK plasmid introduced into E. coli BL21 using Ampicillin 100 μg/ml as a selection agent. Ampicillin stock was prepared from ampicillin Sodium Salt (Sigma number A9518) dissolved in Ultra Pure DDW (UP-water) to a final concentration of 100 mg/ml and filtered through 0.2 μm filters.

Additional materials: Ethyl Alcohol 99% Dehydrated (FRUTAROM number 2355516400); D(+)GLUCOSE (Sigma number G5146); IPTG (Ornat Biochemicals number INA-1758-1400); Complete Mini EDTA-Free Protease inhibitor cocktail tablets (Roche Applied Science number 04693159001); DTT—DL-Dithiothereitol solution

(Sigma number 43816); GSH BEADS (GE Healthcare); Glutathione Sepharose 4B (10 ml, Danyel Biotech number 17-0756-01); and L-Glutathione-reduced (Sigma number G4251).

Equipment—Amicon Ultra-15 centrifugal filters (Millipore number UFC901024); and French Press cell disruption system. All solutions were filtered for sterility through a 0.2 μm filters; all procedures up to Day 2 (step 4, pellet of bacteria after IPTG O/N induction) were carried out in a Sterile Hood.

Swith 1/100 GST-TRAIL glycerol stock (e.g., 400 μl GST-trail glycerol stock in 40 ml medium). The solution was incubated O/N 37° C. in a shaking incubator at 250 RPM.

Day 2

STEP 2: The “starter” culture was spun down at 1000 g for 15 min to remove the antibiotics. The supernatant was discarded and resuspended in 40 ml of fresh 2YT. In a Sterile Hood, the resuspended 40 ml of the O/N preparation from step number 1 was added to 2L of 2YT in a 4L flask (alternatively add the resuspended pellet of 20 ml of the O/N preparation from step number 1 to two 2 L flasks each containing 1 L of 2YT). The solution was incubated for 2-3 hours in a 37° C. shaking incubator at 250 RPM. Measures are taken not incubate for more than 3 hours until O.D. is 2.5-3.0 (it is recommended to measure O.D.₅₉₅ after 2 hours).

STEP 3: Just before IPTG induction, PBS was added to a final concentration of 0.1X to maintain the pH of the culture. EtOH (99% Dehydrated) was added to a final concentration of 2% (40 ml in 2 L culture) to increase the solubility of the protein. 10 ml/L of 0.5M Glucose was added as a carbon source to a final concentration of 5 mM.

STEP 4: 500 μM IPTG were added to the supplemented culture. The culture was incubated over night in a shaking incubator (250 RPM) at 20-25° C.

Day 3

STEP 5: Bacteria was pelleted at 6,000 g for 10 min and the supernatant was discarded. All bacteria were resuspended in a 50 ml Falcon Tube using 40 ml PBS supplemented with 4 protease inhibitor tablets (Roche Applied Science) 1 tablet per 10 ml PBS.

STEP 6: Cells were lyzed by running the bacteria from step number 5 twice through a French Press cell disruption system. Alternatively, 10 ml aliquots in 50 ml tubes were sonicated on ice at 30% power by 4 bursts of 10 sec each. After Cell disruption, the following was added to each 40 ml of cell lysate: 0.1% Triton-X (40 μl of TritonX100), 1 mM MgCl₂ (40 μl of 1M stock MgCl₂) and 1 mM DTT (40 μl of 1M stock DTT). The solution was mixed thoroughly and incubated at RT for 15 min on a rocker or shaker.

STEP 7: The bacterial lysate was spun down for 10 min at 16,900 g and 4° C. Supernatants were aspirated and collected in 50 ml tubes.

STEP 8: Binding to GSH (Glutathione—Sepharose 4B Beads)—In a 15 ml Falcon Tube, 3 ml of GSH Beads were washed three times with PBS. Collected supernatant was centrifuged again because of mass bead loss. The washed beads were added to the bacterial cell lysate from step number 7 and incubated with tumbling for 1 hour at 4° C.

STEP 9: The bacterial cell lysate, containing the sepharose beads from step number 8, was spun down at 2000 RPM for 1 min a MULTI CENTRIFUGE CM 6M ELMI to separate the protein-conjugated beads from the cell-lysate. The supernatant was collected and was centrifuged again to pellet the remaining sepharose beads in the supernatant (that might have not pelleted during the first centrifugation). The pellet from both centrifugations, containing the sTRAIL-conjugated beads, was washed 5 times with 5 ml of PBS supplemented with 0.1% Triton-X100, 150 mM NaCl and 1 proteinase inhibitor tablets per 20 ml PBS.

STEP 10: Elution of GST-sTRAIL—The beads were spun down as before and the supernatant was aspirated. 3 ml of 50 mM Glutathione (pH 8.5) in 10 mM Tris-HCl and 100 mM NaCl were added. Each 3 ml was vortexed for 2 min and the protein was eluted into the supernatant. The supernatant was aspirated as before and the supernatant kept. The procedure of elution was repeated 3-4 times.

STEP 11: The protein was concentrated using Amicon Ultra-15 10K NMWLnumber UFC9010, giving a protein yield of about 5 mg/L culture. sTRAIL was produced at a final concentration of 0.2 mg/ml

sTRAIL entrapment—About 10⁷ Cells were harvested and washed with PBS. Cells were then hypotonically treated by re-suspension in ice cold Tris-magnesium (TM buffer, 0.01 M Tris, 0.001 M MgCl₂) pH 7.4 for 15 min at 4° C. Following hypotonic treatment, the cells were homogenized by rotor-stator mechanical homogenizer (IKA®, Taquara, R J, Brazil) for 1 min at 22,000 rpm and turned into ghosts (95% ruptured cell membranes as confirmed by phase-contrast microscopy). For stabilizing the ghosts' suspension, 60% (w/w) sucrose solution was immediately added to the suspension to make a final concentration of 0.25M or 10% by volume. Ghosts were then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The supernatant was discarded and the pellet of ghosts was then washed twice with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 7.4, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. In order to create sonicated ghosts, the re-suspended pellet was then sonicated for 5 seconds at 27% amplitude using VibraCell VCX750 (Sonics & Materials Inc., Newtown, Conn.) and centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. The pellet of sonicated ghosts was then washed twice again with 0.25 M sucrose in TM-buffer pH 8.6, by repeated suspension and centrifugation at 3,000 rpm for 15 min at 4° C. After, sTRAIL was added to the suspended sonicated ghosts (in TM buffer pH 8.6) to a final concentration of 1 μg per 1 ml of ghost suspension. For the formation of unilamellar liposomes containing sTRAIL, the sTRAIL-containing resuspeded pellet of sonicated ghosts was manually extruded by 21 successive passages trough polycarbonate membranes with pore sizes of 0.4 μm and 0.1 μm (Osmonics Inc., Minnesota USA). The extruded liposomes containing sTRAIL were then centrifuged for 45 min at 150,000 g at 4° C. The supernatant containing excess non-encapsulated sTRAIL was discarded and the resulting liposomes pellet was resuspended with TM buffer pH 8.6.

Results

TRAIL—tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing agent is a type II transmembrane protein that induces apoptosis in tumor cells of diverse origins, while sparing most normal cells²⁶⁻²⁴. Delivery of both full length and truncated, secreted forms of TRAIL (sTRAIL) were shown to induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells both in culture and in vivo^(25, 26). Our preliminary experiments with sTRAIL included its production and passive encapsulation within hMSCs CDLs at a final concentration of 1 μg/ml. Cryo-TEM imaging of the resulting sTRAIL-containing CDLs (FIG. 10A left pane), compared to empty CDLs (FIG. 10B, left pane) prepared and imaged under the same conditions, demonstrates the accumulation of 14-20 nm protein micelles within the CDLs. The sTRAIL micelles are even more clearly visible after digitally re-coloring the images from grey-scale to black-and-white (FIGS. 10A and 10B, right panel).

Example 5 Preparation of “Hybrid CDLs” by Fusion with Other Liposomes

Various molecules (e.g., proteins, lipids, additives and even encapsulates) can be introduced, conjugated or attached onto the surface of the CDLs by means of fusion between the CDLs and other liposomes (synthetic or cell-derive), thus creating—“Hybrid CDLs”. For example, a liposomal formulation made from synthetic well characterized lipids may be conjugated with a protein on its surface or may contain a desirable encapsulate. Then, by means of induced membrane fusion between the said synthetic liposomes and CDLs a hybrid CDL may be formed. These hybrid CDLs contain both lipids and proteins from the cell-membrane they derive from and the lipids and proteins that were originally formulated on the fused synthetic liposomes. Such introduction of ‘non-native’ materials onto the Hybrid CDLs may be used to attach or conjugate any molecule or moieties related, but not limited to, liposomal targeting, therapeutic effect, diagnostic effect, stealth-rendering properties etc. Such fusion may be also used to change the biochemical or chemophysical properties of the CDLs membranes by introduction of synthetic lipids, additives (e.g., cholesterol, ceramides) etc. Such fusion may be also used to increase the encapsulation efficiency in the said CDLs. Since encapsulation in CDLs is mainly limited to passive encapsulation, fusion with synthetic liposomes that were actively loaded with high concentration of encapsulates may significantly improve the CDLs' encapsulation efficiency.

Methods for preparation of synthetic liposomes are well known in the art and mainly include hydration of dehydrated lipids to form lamellar structures and consequent homogenization of those lamellar structures to create liposomes. Synthetic liposomes of the said application can be produced by any method known in the art including, but not limited to, solvent evaporation, solvent replacement, detergent dialysis, extrusion, sonication, freeze-drying, reverse phase evaporation, ethanol/ether injection, agitation and/or any other form of mechanical homogenization. Liposomes can be prepared from a variety of synthetic and naturally derived lipids and may or may not contain additional additives (e.g., cholesterol, ceramides etc.). Methods for active encapsulation of matter in such synthetic liposomes, which are mainly based on membrane pH gradient or active transporters, are also well known in the art and may be used to create synthetic liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency.

Fusion between CDLs and other liposomes to create “Hybrid CDLs” can be readily and easily accomplished by adding short chain free PEG (˜200-500 Da) to the liposomes. The mechanism of PEG-induced vesicle fusion is believed to be related to the reduction of water activity and the dehydration of the lipid headgroups which consequently leads to vesicle coagulation and fusion. Fusion can also be artificially induced through electroporation in a process known as electrofusion. It is believed that this phenomenon results from the energetically active edges formed during electroporation, which can act as the local defect point to nucleate stalk growth between two bilayers. Fusion can also be achieved by addition of detergents (usually under 2%) to the liposomal mixture (e.g., Cymal-5™, 1-S-Octyl Beta-D-thioglucopyranoside etc.), incubation with mild agitation and consequent detergent dialysis.

Example 6 Proteomics Analysis of hMSCc Ghost and Derived CDLs

Method

Proteomics analysis was conducted on 4 samples containing ghost cells and CDLs derived from hMSCc that were either conditioned or unconditioned by a medium derived from a prostate cancer cell-line (PC3). For the production of conditioned ghosts and CDLs, hMSCs were incubated for 24 prior to harvesting in medium composed of 50% conditioning media derived from PC3 cells. Cells were then harvested and sonicated ghosts and CDLs were prepared thereof by the method previously described. Sonicated ghosts from conditioned and unconditioned hMSCs (10⁶ cells) were resuspended for analysis in 1 ml TM-buffer, pH 7.4. Cell-derived liposomes derived from 7×10⁶ conditioned and unconditioned hMSCc were resuspended in 50 μL TM buffer, pH 8.6.

The samples were sent for proteomics analysis at the proteomics center of the TECHNION—Israel Institute of Technology. Briefly, the samples were digested by Trypsin and the resulting peptides were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Peptide mix was fractionated by HPLC and electro-sprayed onto an ion-trap mass spectrometer (Orbitrap™). Mass spectrometry was performed in order to analyze the peptides' mass to charge ratio spectra and to determine the proteins' mass. For additional analysis and identification, the peptides were further fragmented by collision induced dissociation (CID) and analyzed again. The peptides were identified by Sequest 3.31 software against the human part of the uniprot database. All protein results are given as Uniport Accession Numbers. The following values were determined for each protein/accession number:

-   MW—Molecular weight -   P_(pro)—The probability of finding a match as good as or better than     the observed match by chance. The value displayed for the protein is     the probability of the best peptide match (the peptide with the     lowest score). -   Pep Count—The total number of identified peptides. -   Mean—The Average of the peak areas of top 3 identified peptides per     protein. -   Mean.SE—Mean standard error. -   Med—Median of the peak area of all identified peptides per protein -   MedErr—Median absolute deviation. -   Protein Name.

Results

The hundreds of proteins that were identified on one or more of the four samples can be divided into 4 distinct groups:

-   -   1. Proteins that were prevalent in all four samples (Table 7),         i.e. conditioned and unconditioned ghosts and CDLs.     -   2. Proteins that were prevalent in the ghosts or conditioned         ghosts but were missing from the CDLs (Table 5). These proteins         are probably or mostly the remains of cytoplasmatic matter that         was not completely removed from the ghosts.     -   3. Proteins that were prevalent only on the conditioned ghosts         and CDLs (Table 6). These proteins are probably or mostly         membranal proteins which are only expressed after induction or         exposure to condition media.     -   4. Proteins that were prevalent in all samples but CDLs that         were produced from unconditioned hMSCs (Table 7). These proteins         are probably or mostly membranal proteins which are expressed in         lower levels on unconditioned hMSCs and which are completely         depleted on their derived CDLs. Inducing the hMSCs with         condition media probably elevates these proteins level to the         extent they become more apparent on the conditioned CDLs.

TABLE 4 Proteins prevalent on conditioned and unconditioned ghosts and CDLs. Fold expression on conditioned CDLs relative Uniport to Accession unconditioned Number MW CDLS Protein name P04179 24706.6 30 Moesin P62899 14453.9 26 Myosin regulatory light chain 12A P09622 54143.1 26 Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 P02545 74094.8 24 40S ribosomal protein S28 P05023 112824.1 14 Integrin beta-1 P11142 70854.4 14 Cathepsin D P62701 29579.1 12 Sulfide: quinone oxidoreductase P07602 58073.9 12 Histone H4 P21589 63327.6 11 Major vault protein P27797 48111.9 10 Keratin O75396 24724.8 10 Elongation factor 2 P13674 61011.1 10 Erlin-2 P24752 45170.7 9 60S ribosomal protein L4 P30044 22012.5 9 60S ribosomal protein L18a P51659 79636.4 9 40S ribosomal protein S21 P61604 10924.9 8 Actin P17301 129213.8 8 Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase P38117 27826.2 8 Leucine-rich PPR motif- containing protein P10809 61016.5 8 Ras-related protein Rab-7a P14314 59387.9 7 Dolichyl-diphospho- oligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase subunit 2 P62736 41981.8 7 60S ribosomal protein L14 Q96D15 37470 7 Voltage-dependent anion- selective channel protein 3 P62241 24190.2 7 Annexin A4 Q9Y2Q3 25480.3 7 Dolichyl-diphospho- oligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase subunit 1 P02786 84818 7 Pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2 P38646 73634.8 7 40S ribosomal protein S19 P62829 14856.1 7 Annexin A2 Q9H4B7 50294.6 7 Reticulocalbin-3 P40926 35480.7 7 Peroxiredoxin-1 P08648 114464.9 7 Malate dehydrogenase P07237 57080.8 7 Prenylcysteine oxidase 1 Q70UQ0 39285 7 40S ribosomal protein S4 Q9NZM1 234558.8 7 Proactivator polypeptide Q07020 21621.1 7 Heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein P30040 28975.2 6 Integrin alpha-V Q09666 628705.2 6 Annexin A11 Q32P28 83341.2 6 60S ribosomal protein L7a Q15155 134267.4 6 Serine hydroxymethyltransferase P04040 59718.9 6 Tubulin alpha-1B chain P30048 27675.2 6 60S ribosomal protein L26-like 1 P68104 50109.2 6 Integrin alpha-2 Q00325 40068.8 6 Myoferlin P30443 40820.2 6 Trifunctional enzyme subunit beta P06756 115964.5 6 Thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase Q15149 531465.9 6 ATP synthase subunit O P16615 114682.7 6 Elongation factor Tu P14625 92411.2 6 60S ribosomal protein L11 P19105 19781.5 6 60S acidic ribosomal protein P0- like P34897 55957.8 6 40S ribosomal protein S3 P45880 31546.5 6 Signal recognition particle receptor subunit beta O15118 142073.5 6 Serpin H1 P62805 11360.4 6 Isocitrate dehydrogenase [NADP] Q99536 41893.5 6 Endoplasmin P36957 48698.6 6 Tubulin beta chain P02751 262439.5 5 CD44 antigen P13639 95277.1 5 60S ribosomal protein L30 P49411 49510.2 5 60S ribosomal protein L12 Q00610 191491.7 5 Plectin-1 P55072 89265.9 5 Aldehyde dehydrogenase X P21281 56465 5 ATP synthase subunit alpha Q16698 36044.8 5 Collagen alpha-1(I) chain P26038 67777.9 5 40S ribosomal protein S8 P14854 10185.7 5 ATP synthase subunit d P50454 46411.3 5 Erlin-1 P08670 53619.2 5 Vesicle-trafficking protein SEC22b Q13423 113822.9 5 Procollagen-lysine P62847 15413.4 5 Synaptic vesicle membrane protein VAT-1 homolog P00505 47445.3 5 Protein disulfide-isomerase A6 P05556 88357 5 Niemann-Pick C1 protein P30837 57202.3 5 Annexin A1 P13667 72887.1 5 Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 6B1 P06733 47139.4 5 Voltage-dependent anion- selective channel protein 2 P68363 50119.6 5 10 kDa heat shock protein Q15084 48091.3 5 Heme oxygenase 1 P04844 69241.1 5 Lysosome membrane protein 2 P36578 47667.5 5 60S ribosomal protein L22 P11021 72288.5 5 Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 O60568 84731.7 5 ATP synthase subunit beta P04406 36030.4 5 Keratin O95816 23757.2 5 Calreticulin Q04837 17249 5 60S acidic ribosomal protein P2 P09601 32798 5 Transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase Q06830 22096.3 5 Lamin-A/C Q9H9B4 35596.4 5 Protein disulfide-isomerase A3 P09525 35860.1 5 40S ribosomal protein S5 P16070 81503.4 5 Tubulin beta-1 chain P04075 39395.3 5 Annexin A5 P14649 22749.7 5 Electron transfer flavoprotein subunit beta Q02809 83497.5 5 Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase B P10606 13686.9 5 Collagen alpha-1(VI) chain P48735 50876.9 5 Translocon-associated protein subunit delta P07339 44523.7 5 Keratin Q9Y6N5 49928.9 5 Peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme type 2 Q7KZF4 101933.6 5 Prohibitin-2 P50213 39566.1 5 Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 59 Q9UNX3 17245.6 5 Prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 P14618 57900.2 5 Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 Q96AG4 34908.9 5 40S ribosomal protein S18 P07355 38579.8 4 Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(I)/G(S)/G(T) subunit beta-1 P61803 12488.6 4 Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase Q13162 30520.8 4 60S ribosomal protein L5 P63220 9105.6 4 Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit beta-2-like 1 P62263 16262.5 4 60S ribosomal protein L18 Q14108 54255.6 4 Histone H2B type 1-B P63244 35054.6 4 5′-nucleotidase P49748 70345.5 4 ADP/ATP translocase 2 P55084 51261.6 4 Aminopeptidase N P42704 157804.6 4 L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain P00338 36665.4 4 Voltage-dependent anion- selective channel protein 1 Q02543 20748.9 4 Glucosidase 2 subunit beta Q13885 49875 4 Annexin A6 P30101 56746.8 4 ATP synthase subunit delta P35268 14777.8 4 Peroxiredoxin-5 Q9P2E9 152380 4 Very long-chain specific acyl- CoA dehydrogenase P62424 29977 4 Prolow-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 P36543 26128.8 4 Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase-interacting protein P62857 7836.2 4 40S ribosomal protein S24 P62753 28663 4 Elongation factor 1-alpha 1 Q9UHG3 56603.8 4 Aspartate aminotransferase P50914 23417 4 60S ribosomal protein L13 P60174 26652.7 4 Adipocyte plasma membrane- associated protein P27487 88222.5 4 Fibronectin P62269 17707.9 4 Myosin light chain 6B P36542 32975.3 4 Transgelin P39656 50769 4 Staphylococcal nuclease domain-containing protein 1 Q99623 33275.9 4 Sideroflexin-3 P26373 24246.5 4 60S ribosomal protein L31 Q9HDC9 46450.9 4 Phosphate carrier protein Q71U36 50103.7 4 ADP/ATP translocase 1 P08865 32833.4 4 Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 P00387 34212.7 4 Hexokinase-1 Q9Y5M8 29683.8 4 Protein disulfide-isomerase A4 P25705 59713.7 4 Catalase P23284 23727.5 4 Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A P05387 11657.9 4 40S ribosomal protein SA P43307 32215.4 4 Isocitrate dehydrogenase [NAD] subunit alpha P49755 24960 4 2 P04083 38690 4 Tubulin beta-2C chain P04843 68526.9 4 V-type proton ATPase subunit E 1 P08133 75825.7 4 40S ribosomal protein S6 P68371 49799 4 V-type proton ATPase catalytic subunit A O75477 38901.4 4 Trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha P21796 30753.6 4 Ribosome-binding protein 1 P62873 37353 4 Vimentin P12235 33043.2 4 Protein S100-A11 P20674 16751.7 4 Procollagen-lysine Q9BWM7 35480.5 4 Mitochondrial inner membrane protein P23396 26671.4 4 60S ribosomal protein L23 P05141 32874.2 4 60 kDa heat shock protein P61247 29925.8 3 Alpha-enolase Q16891 83626.5 3 Transmembrane emp24 domain- containing protein 9 P51571 18986.6 3 Collagen alpha-2(I) chain O75489 30222.7 3 Endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 29 P31930 52612.5 3 Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 1 P48047 23262.7 3 NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 3 P62888 12775.7 3 Neuroblast differentiation- associated protein AHNAK P12111 343450.3 3 Prohibitin Q8NHW5 34342.7 3 40S ribosomal protein S14 P12109 108462 3 V-type proton ATPase subunit B P30050 17807.5 3 Triosephosphate isomerase P40939 82947 3 Integrin alpha-5 O75947 18479.5 3 Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A P31040 72645.4 3 Calnexin P19367 102420.2 3 Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 2 P30049 17479.2 3 Prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha-1 P46782 22862.1 3 Transmembrane emp24 domain- containing protein 10 P39019 16050.5 3 Peroxiredoxin-4 Q07065 65982.9 3 Stomatin-like protein 2 P35232 29785.9 3 BAG family molecular chaperone regulator 2 P62913 20239.7 3 Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 P06576 56524.7 3 Clathrin heavy chain 1 P51149 23474.9 3 Collagen alpha-3(VI) chain P27824 67526 3 60S ribosomal protein L9 P31949 11732.8 3 HLA class I histocompatibility antigen P35579 226390.6 3 NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 75 kDa subunit P02452 138826.8 3 Dolichyl-diphospho- oligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase 48 kDa subunit Q01995 22596.4 3 Dolichyl-diphospho- oligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase subunit DAD1 Q14764 99266.1 3 Transferrin receptor protein 1 Q9UJZ1 38510.2 3 40S ribosomal protein S3a P08123 129209.8 3 NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase 3 P50995 54355.1 2 Sideroflexin-1 P11279 44853.9 2 Actin Q9BVK6 27260.2 2 Myosin-9 P38606 68260.6 2 NAD(P) transhydrogenase P08758 35914.4 2 60S ribosomal protein L7 P28331 79416.7 2 CD59 glycoprotein P15144 109470.8 2 Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5B P22695 48412.9 2 Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase P35908 65393.2 2 Glutathione S-transferase kappa 1 P35527 62026.7 2 Tubulin alpha-1A chain Q07954 504243.2 2 Dihydrolipoyllysine-residue succinyltransferase component of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex P33778 13941.6 2 Succinate dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] flavoprotein subunit P13645 58791.6 1 Cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 P60709 41709.7 1 Keratin P46777 34340.7 1 Stress-70 protein Q9Y277 30639.3 1 Protein disulfide-isomerase P32969 21849.8 1 ATP synthase subunit gamma P18124 29207.2 1 Translocon-associated protein subunit alpha O94905 37815.5 1 Single-stranded DNA-binding protein P13987 14167.8 1 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein P07437 49639 1 Nodal modulator 1 P13473 44932.3 1 Superoxide dismutase [Mn] P04264 65998.9 1 Tubulin beta-2A chain

TABLE 5 Proteins that were prevalent in the ghosts or conditioned ghosts but were missing from the CDLs Uniport Prevalent in Accession Prevalent conditioned Number MW in ghosts ghosts Protein name P78527 468786.9 + + Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 1B Q99715 332939.7 + + rRNA 2′-O-methyltransferase fibrillarin Q14573 303910.4 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 8 P24821 240697.7 + + E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase MARCH5 P35580 228856.9 + + Acyl carrier protein P07942 197935.7 + + Fibrillin-1 P55268 195853.3 + + Extracellular sulfatase Sulf-1 Q8WWI1 192589.5 + + Protein kinase C alpha type P20908 183446.3 + + Cytosol aminopeptidase P11047 177487.9 + + Beta-galactosidase Q6YHK3 161586.8 + + Histone H3.1t Q7L576 145088.6 + + GDP-fucose protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 Q08211 140868.9 + + Protein S100-A6 P23634 137832.9 + + Protein tyrosine phosphatase-like protein PTPLAD1 Q12768 134200.9 + + 39S ribosomal protein L43 P00533 134190.2 + + Radixin O43795 131901.9 + + Putative ribosomal RNA methyltransferase NOP2 Q9BSJ8 122780.1 + + Trophoblast glycoprotein P26006 118680.2 + + Galectin-3 P54707 115437.2 + + ATP synthase subunit f Q8N766 111689.2 + + Calponin-2 O60313 111560.7 + + Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 10B Q9Y4L1 111266.2 + + Probable glutathione peroxidase 8 Q6P179 110391.1 + + Hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase P22413 104856.7 + + Medium-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase Q6ZXV5 103941.9 + + SH3 domain-binding glutamic acid-rich-like protein 3 A0FGR8 102294.1 + + V-type proton ATPase 116 kDa subunit a isoform 3 P11586 101495.6 + + U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein 200 kDa helicase Q15063 93255.4 + + Transducin beta-like protein 2 Q13488 92908.6 + + Extended synaptotagmin-2 O95479 88836.6 + + Mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase subunit Tim8 A Q9UBV2 88698.6 + + Histone H1.2 Q9NR30 87290.5 + + Vesicular integral-membrane protein VIP36 Q15436 86105.3 + + SRA stem-loop-interacting RNA-binding protein Q99798 85372 + + Nuclear pore complex protein Nup205 P08238 83212.2 + + DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 1 P13010 82652.4 + + HEAT repeat-containing protein 1 Q96TA1 82631.1 + + Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit alpha Q8IVL6 81785.8 + + Pre-mRNA-processing-splicing factor 8 Q9UH99 80261.7 + + Collagen alpha-1(XIV) chain Q9BU23 79647.6 + + Probable saccharopine dehydrogenase Q96AC1 77810.7 + + Nucleoside diphosphate kinase B P21980 77279.8 + + Protein DEK Q6NUQ4 77101.6 + + Nascent polypeptide-associated complex subunit alpha P17252 76714.3 + + LIM domain only protein 7 P23246 76101.8 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 6 Q99805 75725.7 + + Peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 2 O75746 74715 + + Deoxyribonuclease-2-alpha P46063 73410 + + Alpha-L-iduronidase Q8NBJ5 71590.6 + + Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 6C P17066 70984.4 + + Signal peptidase complex subunit 2 O43390 70899.2 + + 60S ribosomal protein L35 P43155 70812.5 + + Adenosine 3′-phospho 5′-phosphosulfate transporter 1 P34931 70331.5 + + Proliferation-associated protein 2G4 P54652 69978 + + Splicing factor P17844 69104.8 + + Ras-related protein Ral-A Q96CM8 68080.8 + + 60S ribosomal protein L10-like Q03252 67647.6 + + ATP-binding cassette sub-family E member 1 O94826 67412.2 + + Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 P20700 66367.7 + + Cathepsin Z Q5JTV8 66208.4 + + Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 1 O00567 66008.8 + + Signal peptidase complex catalytic subunit SEC11A P23368 65402 + + Acetyl-coenzyme A transporter 1 Q10471 64691.5 + + 4F2 cell-surface antigen heavy chain Q10472 64177.5 + + Tropomyosin beta chain P14866 64092.4 + + Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 47 Q14956 63882 + + Myb-binding protein 1A P07686 63071.3 + + ADP-ribosylation factor 1 O95302 63043.6 + + Synaptonemal complex protein SC65 Q969V3 62934.7 + + Signal peptidase complex subunit 3 P30038 61680.7 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 2 Q96S52 61617.3 + + Ras-related protein Rab-8A Q9HCC0 61294.5 + + EH domain-containing protein 2 Q5SSJ5 61169.3 + + Rho GTPase-activating protein 1 Q9P0J1 61015.7 + + Putative 40S ribosomal protein S26-like 1 Q9H857 60679.8 + + Mitochondrial chaperone BCS1 P04062 59678.4 + + Calcium-binding mitochondrial carrier protein Aralar2 Q9Y2X3 59540.6 + + Ribosome-releasing factor 2 Q7Z4H8 58535.3 + + 39S ribosomal protein L46 Q13217 57544.3 + + Cytochrome c1 P49257 57513.1 + + Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 4 P26599 57185.8 + + 60S ribosomal protein L36a P05091 56345.7 + + Metaxin-2 Q96A33 55838.4 + + Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L Q9UMS4 55146.4 + + ES1 protein homolog O60701 54989.3 + + Replication protein A 14 kDa subunit O76021 54939 + + 60S ribosomal protein L37a P10619 54431.2 + + Neuron-specific calcium-binding protein hippocalcin Q96HE7 54358.1 + + Translocation protein SEC63 homolog Q15233 54197.4 + + Protein transport protein Sec61 subunit beta Q02818 53846.4 + + Torsin-1A-interacting protein 2 P22570 53803.1 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 7 Q96N66 52730.3 + + Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase P20073 52705.8 + + All-trans-retinol 13 P61619 52230.6 + + H/ACA ribonucleoprotein complex subunit 4 Q9Y512 51943.4 + + Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 O43615 51323.6 + + Neuroplastin Q07960 50404.3 + + Heterochromatin protein 1-binding protein 3 Q13509 50400.3 + + Transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 3 Q9P2R7 50285.3 + + Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 P80303 50164.4 + + Putative heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1-like 3 P36551 50120.1 + + Isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase P13489 49941.2 + + ATP synthase subunit b Q9Y305 49869.6 + + Ras-related protein Rab-5A Q9BUF5 49825 + + Poly(rC)-binding protein 2 P04350 49553.9 + + Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5 P31943 49198.4 + + 60S ribosomal protein L13a P62495 49000.2 + + Mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase subunit Tim13 P82675 47976.2 + + Beta-actin-like protein 2 P09543 47548.7 + + Protein disulfide-isomerase TMX3 P45954 47455.3 + + Acid ceramidase Q8NBX0 47121.5 + + Lipase maturation factor 2 O60664 47018 + + Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 P28300 46914.5 + + Golgin subfamily B member 1 P11310 46558.6 + + Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 1 O75718 46532 + + Ras-related protein Rab-18 O14979 46409 + + High mobility group protein B1 P26440 46289.7 + + Coproporphyrinogen-III oxidase P60842 46124.6 + + Contactin-associated protein 1 Q58FF3 45829.9 + + Protein S100-A16 Q96HD1 45408.9 + + Isocitrate dehydrogenase [NAD] subunit beta Q6YN16 45365.5 + + CDP-diacylglycerol--inositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase Q8NC51 44938.5 + + Follistatin-related protein 1 Q96G23 44847.4 + + Ribose-phosphate pyrophosphokinase 1 Q9BTV4 44847.3 + + Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-III P61160 44732.3 + + Probable cation-transporting ATPase 13A1 P09110 44263.9 + + High mobility group protein HMGI-C P07093 43974.3 + + Mesoderm-specific transcript homolog protein Q9H488 43927.2 + + Cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein 1 O75521 43557.4 + + Matrin-3 Q6NVY1 43454.4 + + Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 1 P17302 42980.9 + + 39S ribosomal protein L1 Q13336 42499.8 + + Dolichol-phosphate mannosyltransferase Q16795 42482.6 + + Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase C P35613 42174.1 + + Gamma-glutamyl hydrolase P29992 42096.6 + + V-type proton ATPase 16 kDa proteolipid subunit Q9BYX7 41988.9 + + Ribosome biogenesis regulatory protein homolog Q562R1 41976 + + 28S ribosomal protein S5 Q9BRK5 41780.5 + + Lanosterol synthase P30533 41440.9 + + Glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase P82650 41254.4 + + Transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein ig-h3 Q15050 41168.2 + + Beta-actin-like protein 3 Q12907 40203.1 + + Nucleolar RNA helicase 2 O75367 39592.5 + + CAAX prenyl protease 1 homolog Q9NYL9 39570.3 + + RNA-binding protein FUS P09972 39431.3 + + ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 6-interacting protein 1 Q5EB52 38805.5 + + Glia-derived nexin Q15366 38555.6 + + Tubulin beta-6 chain Q9H0U3 38011.4 + + Magnesium transporter protein 1 O15121 37841.1 + + 60S ribosomal protein L6 Q9UDY4 37783.2 + + Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP3 P62136 37487.8 + + Up-regulated during skeletal muscle growth protein 5 Q14257 36853.7 + + Thioredoxin-related transmembrane protein 1 P05198 36089.4 + + 28S ribosomal protein S31 Q9NZ01 36010.8 + + High mobility group protein HMG-I/HMG-Y P27695 35532.2 + + Antigen peptide transporter 1 P08574 35367 + + DnaJ homolog subfamily C member 3 P31937 35305.8 + + Peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 Q08257 35184.6 + + Chloride intracellular channel protein 1 Q15006 34811.4 + + N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulfatase P09486 34609.7 + + Probable transcription factor PML O15144 34311.5 + + Mitochondrial import receptor subunit TOM70 Q16836 34255.9 + + Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 Q9UHQ9 34073.2 + + LDLR chaperone MESD P53007 33991 + + Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 13 Q9UBR2 33846.2 + + Lamin-B1 Q8NBJ7 33835.8 + + 116 kDa U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein component P62995 33645.6 + + Proteolipid protein 2 Q9BPW8 33288.9 + + Collagen triple helix repeat-containing protein 1 P07951 32830.6 + + Isocitrate dehydrogenase [NAD] subunit gamma P42126 32795.2 + + RNA-binding Raly-like protein Q02878 32707.6 + + Sphingolipid delta(4)-desaturase DES1 Q86SE5 32310.6 + + 3 Q9Y639 31271.9 + + Mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase subunit TIM44 P15559 30848 + + Mammalian ependymin-related protein 1 O75431 29744.1 + + Aldehyde dehydrogenase O60762 29615.8 + + Urea transporter 1 P22090 29437 + + Retinol dehydrogenase 11 P62258 29155.4 + + T-complex protein 1 subunit delta P24539 28890.3 + + Ribonuclease inhibitor P18669 28785.9 + + Splicing factor P67936 28504.5 + + 60S ribosomal protein L28 Q9UFN0 28448.5 + + Calpain small subunit 1 Q9UHQ4 28302.2 + + Histone H1.1 P30042 28152.7 + + Pre-mRNA-processing factor 19 P57088 27959.8 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 5 Q9P0L0 27875.2 + + OCIA domain-containing protein 2 Q07955 27727.8 + + Histone H1.0 P63104 27727.7 + + Glycylpeptide N-tetradecanoyltransferase 1 Q9NR28 27113.7 + + Putative 60S ribosomal protein L13a-like MGC87657 P33316 26689.7 + + Major facilitator superfamily domain-containing protein 10 O75352 26620.5 + + Transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 1 P54819 26460.8 + + Cystatin-B P17931 26136.1 + + Integrin alpha-3 P60033 25792.1 + + Signal peptidase complex subunit 1 Q9UM22 25420.6 + + NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 Q13445 25189.7 + + Mannose-P-dolichol utilization defect 1 protein Q00688 25161.3 + + DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 4 Q15005 24986.7 + + Heat shock 70 kDa protein 6 P09429 24878.2 + + Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D-like P62906 24815.5 + + Protein Mpv17 Q9Y3Q3 24761.3 + + Tubulin beta-3 chain P27635 24587.9 + + Anoctamin-10 Q96L21 24502.7 + + Acyl-CoA synthetase family member 2 P62826 24407.6 + + Heat shock protein beta-1 B2RPK0 24222.8 + + Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP7 O43402 23757.7 + + Thioredoxin reductase 2 P20339 23643.8 + + Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 9 P40429 23562.4 + + Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H P11233 23552 + + Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX5 O14735 23523.1 + + Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like protein 2 Q8N983 23416.2 + + WASH complex subunit strumpellin P45877 22748.8 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 9 P46781 22577.6 + + Nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 P84074 22413 + + Lysosomal protective protein Q96AB3 22322.8 + + Beta-hexosaminidase subunit alpha O43399 22224.3 + + Serum albumin Q02539 21828.9 + + B-cell receptor-associated protein 29 O75915 21600.4 + + Mitochondrial import inner membrane translocase subunit TIM50 Q9H061 21513.5 + + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] flavoprotein 2 P16403 21351.8 + + Protein se-1 homolog 1 P84077 20683.7 + + Beta-hexosaminidase subunit beta P67812 20612.1 + + Nucleolar protein 56 P18085 20497.7 + + Sterol-4-alpha-carboxylate 3-dehydrogenase P24844 19814.5 + + WASH complex subunit 7 O60831 19245.5 + + Glycine cleavage system H protein P46778 18553.1 + + Putative hexokinase HKDC1 P62280 18419 + + SWI/SNF complex subunit SMARCC2 P62277 17211.7 + + 39S ribosomal protein L38 Q9BX68 17151.2 + + Ganglioside GM2 activator P15531 17137.7 + + Oligosaccharyltransferase complex subunit OSTC P62841 17029.2 + + Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein-associated proteins B and B′ P63241 16821.4 + + Regulator of chromosome condensation Q9NRP0 16817.8 + + Nucleoside diphosphate kinase A Q86SX6 16617.5 + + 60S ribosomal protein L34 O15511 16310.3 + + Tubulin beta-4 chain P46779 15737.7 + + Tropomyosin alpha-4 chain P26885 15639.3 + + Receptor expression-enhancing protein 5 O60361 15519 + + Putative pre-mRNA-splicing factor ATP-dependent RNA helicase DHX15 Q9NS69 15511.8 + + Four and a half LIM domains protein 2 Q9Y3E0 15415.4 + + ATP-dependent RNA helicase DHX29 P69905 15247.9 + + Leucyl-cystinyl aminopeptidase P42766 14542.6 + + Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein R P55769 14164.6 + + Histidyl-tRNA synthetase P04908 14127 + + Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein Sm D3 P61769 13705.9 + + Prostacyclin synthase Q5JNZ5 12994 + + [Pyruvate dehydrogenase [acetyl-transferring]]- phosphatase 1 Q9GZT3 12341.4 + + Protein transport protein Sec23A P84090 12251 + + Abhydrolase domain-containing protein 10 Q96FQ6 11794 + + Putative endoplasmin-like protein P99999 11741.1 + + 60S acidic ribosomal protein P1 P17096 11669.2 + + Trans-2 O60220 10991.3 + + GDH/6PGL endoplasmic bifunctional protein P56134 10910.7 + + Potassium-transporting ATPase alpha chain 2 Q9Y5L4 10493 + + Eukaryotic peptide chain release factor subunit 1 Q9H299 10431.3 + + Transmembrane and TPR repeat-containing protein 3 P61513 10268.5 + + Ribosomal L1 domain-containing protein 1 O75531 10052 + + Regulator of microtubule dynamics protein 1 P60468 9968.1 + + Adenylate kinase 2 P62979 9411.9 + + Alpha-2-macroglobulin P63173 8212.7 + + 72 kDa type IV collagenase P04732 6009.2 + + SUN domain-containing protein 1 P35555 312082 + − Laminin subunit beta-1 Q05707 193393 + − SUN domain-containing protein 2 Q7Z478 155138.3 + − Vesicle transport protein GOT1B Q9HD20 132869.9 + − Actin-related protein 2 Q9UIQ6 117274.2 + − Hemoglobin subunit alpha Q9UGP8 87941.5 + − ERO1-like protein alpha Q9UJS0 74128.8 + − Glucosylceramidase P27658 73317.2 + − Metaxin-1 P35475 72624.8 + − ATP-dependent DNA helicase Q1 P02768 69321.6 + − Tumor protein D54 P35241 68521.5 + − Epidermal growth factor receptor P08195 67951.9 + − Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 2 Q6NUM9 66776.8 + − Annexin A7 Q9NNW7 66320.8 + − Neighbor of COX4 Q86UE4 63798.8 + − Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 3 P12081 57374.3 + − NHP2-like protein 1 Q9UBM7 54453.8 + − Cleft lip and palate transmembrane protein 1 P49189 53767.1 + − ATP-binding cassette sub-family D member 3 O15269 52710.6 + − Arylsulfatase A O75306 52511.8 + − Delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase P12694 50439.2 + − ADP-dependent glucokinase Q92791 50349.3 + − Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP9 Q15113 47942 + − Prostaglandin E synthase 2 Q8TB61 47483.6 + − Carnitine O-acetyltransferase P55209 45346 + − 40S ribosomal protein S9 Q92665 45290.5 + − Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit 1 Q96DV4 44568.4 + − 40S ribosomal protein S13 Q13561 44203.9 + − Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 109A Q9UQ80 43759.2 + − Heat shock 70 kDa protein 1-like P29803 42905.6 + − Niban-like protein 1 P51553 42767.1 + − 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase P61163 42586.9 + − Splicing factor P25685 38020.4 + − Heat shock protein HSP 90-beta Q9H2U2 37896 + − CD166 antigen Q9H7B2 35560.2 + − Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 Q8TC12 35363.5 + − 40S ribosomal protein S4 Q12841 34962.9 + − Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 RNA-binding protein P60891 34811.9 + − LAG1 longevity assurance homolog 2 Q99439 33675.3 + − Uncharacterized protein KIAA0090 Q86WA6 32522 + − Putative phospholipase B-like 2 Q14192 32170.6 + − Mitochondrial import receptor subunit TOM22 homolog P16152 30355.9 + − 28S ribosomal protein S23 Q9Y680 29990.1 + − Putative high mobility group protein B1-like 1 O60613 27629 + − ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX18 Q96CG8 26207.1 + − Protein NipSnap homolog 1 Q14696 26060.3 + − NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase 1 Q13765 23369.7 + − Transmembrane protein 214 P09211 23341 + − 40S ribosomal protein S29 P04792 22768.5 + − GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran Q9Y3D9 21757.3 + − Carbonyl reductase [NADPH] 1 Q00765 21479.1 + − Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP2 P63000 21436.3 + − Perilipin-3 P05976 21131.8 + − Nuclear pore complex protein Nup155 P30086 21043.7 + − Vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 Q9ULC4 20541.8 + − Succinyl-CoA ligase [ADP-forming] subunit beta P61009 20300.5 + − Nicalin P51970 20092.1 + − Inositol 1 P84103 19317.9 + − Malignant T cell-amplified sequence 1 Q9Y6H1 15502.7 + − U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein C Q9NPJ3 14950.9 + − Tricarboxylate transport protein P35244 13559.9 + − UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase O43920 12509.4 + − Transmembrane protein 33 Q6NVV1 12126.9 + − Diablo homolog P04080 11132.6 + − Non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein O43678 10914.8 + − Ankycorbin P09669 8775.7 + − Procollagen galactosyltransferase 1 Q15738 NA − + ADP-ribosylation factor 4 P17900 NA − + Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 2 P46087 NA − + Myosin-Ib O00299 NA − + Quinone oxidoreductase P39210 NA − + 60S ribosomal protein L10a Q9P035 NA − + Plasma membrane calcium-transporting ATPase 4 Q9NUJ1 NA − + Enhancer of rudimentary homolog O43837 NA − + Cysteine-rich with EGF-like domain protein 1 Q9Y5S1 NA − + Ribosome production factor 2 homolog Q16647 NA − + Beta-2-microglobulin Q96JJ7 NA − + 2′ P23434 NA − + PRA1 family protein 2 P0C7M2 NA − + Nucleobindin-2 P15289 NA − + Serine palmitoyltransferase 1 O75844 NA − + Core histone macro-H2A.1 P09234 NA − + Coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain-containing protein 2 P08253 NA − + 60S ribosomal protein L38 P04632 NA − + Protein NipSnap homolog 3A Q03518 NA − + DNA-(apurinic or apyrimidinic site) lyase Q8NFQ8 NA − + Nucleobindin-1 P07305 NA − + Splicing factor Q15029 NA − + Sulfatase-modifying factor 2 O75643 NA − + C-1-tetrahydrofolate synthase Q9Y276 NA − + 5′-nucleotidase domain-containing protein 2 Q9BYD6 NA − + Gap junction alpha-1 protein Q8IWU6 NA − + Laminin subunit beta-2 Q9UBQ7 NA − + Alpha-2-macroglobulin receptor-associated protein P61221 NA − + Lamin-B2 P63027 NA − + Periostin Q9Y4P3 NA − + Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 P30419 NA − + 14-3-3 protein zeta/delta P50991 NA − + 14-3-3 protein epsilon O94901 NA − + Metallothionein-1E Q9H7Z7 NA − + Procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer 1 P22087 NA − + Collagen alpha-1(XII) chain P28288 NA − + 4-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase Q13505 NA − + Collagen alpha-1(VIII) chain Q9Y3E5 NA − + Transmembrane 9 superfamily member 2 P27449 NA − + Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha-11 Q13510 NA − + Short/branched chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase P62318 NA − + Histone H2A type 1-B/E O00115 NA − + Calcium-binding mitochondrial carrier protein Aralar1 P33527 NA − + Sorting and assembly machinery component 50 homolog Q8NE86 NA − + Dynactin subunit 2 O60832 NA − + Protein transport protein Sec61 subunit alpha isoform 1 Q15582 NA − + 28S ribosomal protein S22 Q13740 NA − + Inorganic pyrophosphatase 2 Q9NVP1 NA − + 15 kDa selenoprotein P22392 NA − + Fermitin family homolog 2 P43243 NA − + Peroxisomal 3 P38919 NA − + Transmembrane protein 43 Q04941 NA − + Transformer-2 protein homolog beta P05386 NA − + Cytochrome c Q8NHP8 NA − + 40S ribosomal protein S11 Q8TAQ2 NA − + Valacyclovir hydrolase O15145 NA − + Protein LYRIC Q86TX2 NA − + Torsin-1A-interacting protein 1 Q16629 NA − + Alpha-centractin P35637 NA − + Tropomodulin-3 Q9NX47 NA − + Cartilage-associated protein Q9NP72 NA − + Tenascin Q9NZN4 NA − + Methylcrotonoyl-CoA carboxylase beta chain P51648 NA − + Lysophospholipid acyltransferase 7 O15143 NA − + DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit Q92820 NA − + Basigin Q9Y6A9 NA − + CD81 antigen P29590 NA − + SPARC Q6P2Q9 NA − + Prolyl 3-hydroxylase 3 Q13641 NA − + 60S ribosomal protein L21 Q2TB90 NA − + Extended synaptotagmin-1 Q14789 NA − + Protein-lysine 6-oxidase P15586 NA − + Tetratricopeptide repeat protein 35 O75694 NA − + Myosin light chain 1/3 Q56VL3 NA − + Vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein A P61006 NA − + GPI transamidase component PIG-S P49207 NA − + Glutaredoxin-related protein 5 P14678 NA − + 40S ribosomal protein S15 Q96IX5 NA − + Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP1-alpha catalytic subunit O75380 NA − + Splicing factor Q969S9 NA − + Nucleolar protein 58 P52926 NA − + 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase Q9H2W6 NA − + KDEL motif-containing protein 2 Q08170 NA − + Heat shock-related 70 kDa protein 2 O14763 NA − + Dynamin-like 120 kDa protein Q15067 NA − + 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase Q2M389 NA − + Myosin regulatory light polypeptide 9 Q3ZCQ8 NA − + PRA1 family protein 3 Q9BRR6 NA − + 2-oxoisovalerate dehydrogenase subunit alpha P78357 NA − + Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I P19404 NA − + Transmembrane protein 126A P35659 NA − + Protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase 2 P16278 NA − + Laminin subunit gamma-1 Q9P0K7 NA − + NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 2 P18754 NA − + Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A-1 P62273 NA − + Glutathione S-transferase P Q14728 NA − + Deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase O75251 NA − + Reticulocalbin-2 Q9H3N1 NA − + NADPH: adrenodoxin oxidoreductase P06703 NA − + ATP-dependent RNA helicase A O96005 NA − + 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase P28838 NA − + Collagen alpha-1(V) chain P83881 NA − + Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 O43143 NA − + Putative nucleoside diphosphate kinase O00400 NA − + NAD-dependent malic enzyme Q8TED1 NA − + Hypoxia up-regulated protein 1 Q9H583 NA − + X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 Q16695 NA − + CD109 antigen Q96DB5 NA − + Barrier-to-autointegration factor Q9NW15 NA − + 60S ribosomal protein L10 P01023 NA − + 40S ribosomal protein S27a Q92544 NA − + Protein ERGIC-53 Q9BQG0 NA − + Transmembrane glycoprotein NMB P48449 NA − + Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase C P06865 NA − + 45 kDa calcium-binding protein O14561 NA − + Isochorismatase domain-containing protein 2 Q15041 NA − + Aconitate hydratase Q92621 NA − + Myosin-10

TABLE 6 Proteins that were prevalent only on the conditioned ghosts and CDLs Ratio of expression: conditioned Uniport CDLs/ Accession conditioned Number MW ghost Protein name Q15717 NA 100% Endoplasmic reticulum lectin 1 P14136 NA 100% Signal recognition particle receptor subunit alpha Q32P51 NA  17% Long-chain-fatty-acid--CoA ligase 3 Q9NVA2 NA  16% Cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor O75131 NA  11% Granulins Q96DZ1 NA  10% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K P01889 NA  9% DnaJ homolog subfamily C member 10 Q16270 NA  9% Copine-3 P61978 NA  7% Flotillin-1 P21912 NA  6% Metalloproteinase inhibitor 3 P28799 NA  6% Glial fibrillary acidic protein Q8IXB1 NA  6% Translational activator GCN1 Q5KU26 NA  5% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1-like 2 O75955 NA  4% Protein FAM98A P35625 NA  4% Septin-11 Q92616 NA  4% Succinate dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur subunit O95573 NA  3% Collectin-12 Q8NCA5 NA  3% Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 P11717 NA  2% HLA class I histocompatibility antigen

TABLE 7 Proteins that were prevalent in ghosts, conditioned ghosts and conditioned CDLs but were missing from unconditioned CDLs. Ratio of expression Uniport Cond Accession Ghosts/ Cond. CDLs/ Number MW Ghosts Cond. Ghosts Protein name Q53EP0 132803.2 302% 2% Calumenin P52272 77464.3 262% 2% Nucleophosmin P12956 69799.2 248% 1% Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 O60716 108103.3 220% 4% Glutaminase kidney isoform P05121 45031.1 218% 5% Integrin beta-5 P18621 21383.3 218% 13%  Plasma membrane calcium-transporting ATPase 1 Q9H845 68716.8 209% 7% Nucleolin Q14103 38410.3 198% 0% 60S acidic ribosomal protein P0 P61916 16559.5 195% 2% Atlastin-3 Q02978 34039.9 193% 3% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 8 Q969X5 32571.5 186% 8% Neutral alpha-glucosidase AB P07858 37796.8 179% 2% Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 isoform 1 O95831 66859 176% 4% Complement component 1 Q subcomponent-binding protein P51148 23467.8 161% 6% 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase type-2 Q9H0U4 22157.2 161% 1% AP-2 complex subunit alpha-1 O75390 51679.6 157% 3% Adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 Q8TCJ2 93613.8 155% 1% Collagen alpha-1(III) chain P21964 30017.6 148% 0% Mitochondrial carrier homolog 2 O43852 37083.6 143% 2% Fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 3B O95782 107477.9 142% 5% Ras-related protein Rab-1B P50416 88310.8 142% 2% Alpha-actinin-1 Q9NYU2 177077.4 140% 1% Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA lyase P46977 80476.9 138% 3% 40S ribosomal protein S12 P49821 50784.9 137% 5% Actin-related protein 3 Q12797 85809.5 135% 5% 40S ribosomal protein S20 P46940 189132.9 133% 1% Thy-1 membrane glycoprotein Q9ULV4 53215.1 131% 3% Coronin-1C O00159 121648.1 129% 4% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 10 P07996 129299.2 129% 2% Mitochondrial-processing peptidase subunit beta O14773 61209.7 129% 6% Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor P10620 17587.2 128% 3% 60S ribosomal protein L8 Q9NSE4 113719.1 121% 4% Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A O00469 84631.8 120% 2% 39S ribosomal protein L49 P20340 23577.9 100% 100%  60S ribosomal protein L3 P80723 22680 100% 33%  Endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 44 Q96AQ6 80594.2 100% 27%  40S ribosomal protein S7 P08962 25619.1 100% 25%  Prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha-2 P50281 65842 100% 25%  Transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 4 P62988 8559.6 100% 23%  Electron transfer flavoprotein subunit alpha P21291 20553.8 100% 21%  Protein S100-A10 P62879 37307.1 100% 21%  40S ribosomal protein S23 Q92499 82379.9 100% 15%  Myosin-11 P05388 34251.8 100% 14%  Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D0 O96000 20763.2 100% 12%  Catenin beta-1 P23528 18490.7 100% 12%  Seprase P15313 56797 100% 12%  Translocation protein SEC62 Q9UBS4 40488.7 100% 12%  Mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate/malate carrier protein P62917 28007.3 100% 12%  Microsomal glutathione S-transferase 1 P00403 25548.2 100% 12%  X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 6 P17813 70533.2 100% 11%  Talin-1 P61353 15787.8 100% 11%  Mannosyl-oligosaccharide glucosidase Q00341 141368 100% 11%  Neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 P0C7P4 30796.1 100% 11%  Probable ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX17 P49368 60495.4 100% 11%  Cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 7 Q9NQC3 129851.2 100% 10%  40S ribosomal protein S15a Q9NX63 26136.2 100% 10%  Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 P84098 23451.3 100% 10%  Protein ETHE1 Q12906 95279.2 100% 10%  Coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain-containing protein 3 P11166 54048.7 100% 9% Estradiol 17-beta-dehydrogenase 12 P06748 32554.9 100% 9% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M Q99584 11464.1 100% 9% Mitochondrial import receptor subunit TOM40 homolog P14927 13522 100% 8% T-complex protein 1 subunit gamma Q9UBI6 8001.2 100% 8% Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit alpha P83731 17767.9 100% 8% Protein canopy homolog 2 Q02218 115861.5 100% 8% Spectrin alpha chain P61026 22526.6 100% 7% Filamin-A O95299 40725 100% 7% Myosin-Ic P22626 37406.7 100% 7% Ras-related protein Rap-1A Q9UBG0 166548.2 100% 7% Succinyl-CoA ligase [GDP-forming] subunit beta P07099 52915 100% 7% RNA-binding protein Raly O95182 12543.6 100% 7% Collagen alpha-2(VI) chain P04216 17923.4 100% 7% Ras GTPase-activating-like protein IQGAP1 P62266 15797.7 100% 7% Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(I)/G(S)/G(T) subunit beta-2 P35221 100008.6 100% 7% V-type proton ATPase subunit B Q13405 19186 100% 7% Procollagen-lysine P18859 12579.6 100% 7% 60S ribosomal protein L32 P25398 14505.5 100% 7% Dolichyl-diphosphooligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase subunit STT3A O00571 73198.1 100% 7% Alpha-soluble NSF attachment protein P00367 61359.3 100% 7% ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 3A P62081 22113.3 100% 6% Pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor-interacting protein 1 Q15293 38866.2 100% 6% Delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase P21333 280561.4 100% 6% Ras-related protein Rab-10 P54920 33211.3 100% 6% ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX3X P62249 16435 100% 6% DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 11 P62834 20973.7 100% 6% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1 O00264 21657.8 100% 6% Thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 Q16718 13450.2 100% 6% Calmodulin Q9Y3B3 25155.6 100% 6% 40S ribosomal protein S27-like Q01518 51822.8 100% 6% Citrate synthase P35222 85442.3 100% 6% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 beta subcomplex subunit 10 Q9UKM9 32443.6 100% 6% Epoxide hydrolase 1 P51991 39570.5 100% 6% 60S ribosomal protein L36 P04899 40425.1 100% 6% UPF0027 protein C22orf28 P62244 14830 100% 6% Reticulon-4 P32322 33339.6 100% 5% Sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 1 P52815 21334.7 100% 5% Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP11 Q15019 41461.3 100% 5% Histone H2A type 1-A Q13011 35793.4 100% 5% Gelsolin P00558 44586.2 100% 5% ATP synthase subunit g O75439 54331.6 100% 5% Thrombospondin-1 P43304 80801.7 100% 5% Histone H1.5 P18084 87996.2 100% 5% Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 Q7Z7H5 25926.4 100% 5% Matrix metalloproteinase-14 Q14554 59556.2 100% 5% Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FKBP10 O60506 69559.6 100% 5% Enoyl-CoA hydratase Q9Y3U8 12245.9 100% 5% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A3 P62820 22663.4 100% 5% Fumarate hydratase Q13813 284362.5 100% 5% 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase Q6P587 24826.7 100% 5% Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2 O75964 11421.2 100% 5% Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 Q9Y2B0 20639.2 100% 4% 60S ribosomal protein L24 Q12931 80059.8 100% 4% Myeloid-associated differentiation marker P51572 27974 100% 4% Alpha-actinin-4 Q5JRX3 117380.3 100% 4% Ornithine aminotransferase P36776 106422.5 100% 4% UPF0556 protein C19orf10 O95571 27855.1 100% 4% 60S ribosomal protein L19 P61158 47341 100% 4% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] flavoprotein 1 Q9BS26 46941.5 100% 4% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 7 P10515 68953.3 100% 4% 40S ribosomal protein S2 Q71UM5 9470.9 100% 4% Transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 7 Q12905 43035.2 100% 4% Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase domain-containing protein 1 P54886 87247.7 100% 4% Reticulocalbin-1 P13073 19564.1 100% 4% Cathepsin B P15880 31304.6 100% 4% Dihydrolipoyllysine-residue acetyltransferase component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex P60866 13364.3 100% 4% Aspartyl/asparaginyl beta-hydroxylase Q96I99 46481.5 100% 3% Catechol O-methyltransferase O96008 37869.2 100% 3% Protein S100-A13 P61313 24131.1 100% 3% Alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase Q6PIU2 45778.8 100% 3% Vigilin Q8NBS9 47598.7 100% 3% Membrane-associated progesterone receptor component 1 Q14165 32213.6 100% 3% Galectin-1 P04181 48504.3 100% 3% Presequence protease Q9NVI7 71324.8 100% 3% Glutamate dehydrogenase 1 Q92896 134463.3 100% 3% Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component subunit beta Q99653 22442.4 100% 3% Profilin-1 P54709 31492.1 100% 3% Serine beta-lactamase-like protein LACTB Q92520 24664.6 100% 3% 40S ribosomal protein S17 P53597 36226.9 100% 3% 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase P15311 69369.8 100% 3% Myosin light polypeptide 6 P13804 35057.6 100% 3% Ubiquitin O00217 23689.6 100% 3% 40S ribosomal protein S16 Q9UIJ7 25549.6 100% 3% Microsomal glutathione S-transferase 3 P62158 16826.8 100% 3% NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 5 Q969H8 18783.3 100% 3% Lon protease homolog P83111 60655.1 100% 3% Sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase subunit beta-3 Q12884 87656.8 100% 3% Cofilin-1 P07954 54602.2 100% 3% Ras-related protein Rab-1A Q14697 106806.8 100% 3% Endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment protein 1 O14983 110181.8 100% 2% Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 Q99714 26906.1 100% 2% Ras-related protein Rab-5C P20020 138667.9 100% 2% 60S ribosomal protein L17 P62910 15849.8 100% 2% ATP synthase-coupling factor 6 P39023 46079.8 100% 2% Ras-related protein Rab-6A Q9NYL4 22166.3 100% 2% 39S ribosomal protein L12 O14880 16505.6 100% 2% GTP: AMP phosphotransferase mitochondrial Q92841 72326 100% 2% Putative cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit Rieske-like protein 1 Q96QV6 14224.9 100% 2% Septin-2 Q9Y224 28050.7 100% 2% Catenin alpha-1 P55809 56122 100% 2% Transmembrane emp24 domain-containing protein 2 Q13724 91860.9 100% 1% 60S ribosomal protein L27 Q6DD88 60503.5 100% 1% Epididymal secretory protein E1 Q96AY3 64204.3 100% 1% Protein disulfide-isomerase A5 Q9Y6C9 33308.9 100% 1% C-type mannose receptor 2 O15460 60863.7 100% 1% CD63 antigen Q53GQ0 34302.2 100% 1% Solute carrier family 2 Q07021 31342.6 100% 1% Apoptosis-inducing factor 1 P60660 16919.1 100% 0% Ezrin P35749 227197.9 100% 0% ATP-dependent RNA helicase DDX1 P08559 43267.7 100% 0% Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(I)/G(S)/G(O) subunit gamma-12 O15260 30373.8 100% 0% Tropomyosin alpha-1 chain P16401 22566.5 100% 0% Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase P11177 39208.1  82% 4% Golgi apparatus protein 1 P12110 108511.9  81% 3% Brain acid soluble protein 1 P42765 41897.7  79% 2% Succinyl-CoA ligase [GDP-forming] subunit alpha O94925 73414  76% 3% Catenin delta-1 Q9Y3I0 55175  72% 8% Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(i) subunit alpha-2 P55145 20243.6  71% 2% Tripeptidyl-peptidase 1 O43707 104788.5  71% 4% B-cell receptor-associated protein 31 P12814 102992.7  70% 4% Carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 P49419 58450.2  66% 3% 60S ribosomal protein L15 P09493 32688.7  66% 27%  Surfeit locus protein 4 P35914 34337.8  62% 8% UDP-glucose: glycoprotein glucosyltransferase 1 P37802 22377.2  61% 4% 60S ribosomal protein L23a P07737 15044.6  57% 7% Calcium-binding protein p22 P08708 15540.4  57% 5% Protein FAM3C P30084 31367.1  57% 3% Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein Q P62937 18000.9  54% 9% Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase P19338 76568.5  50% 42%  Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family member 9 P09382 14706.2  45% 28%  Malectin P06396 85644.3  36% 2% Delta(3 P02461 138479.2  35% 6% Dolichyl-diphosphooligosaccharide--protein glycosyltransferase subunit STT3B Q9Y490 269596.3  34% 5% Endoglin P62750 17684.1  24% 31%  Transgelin-2

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

It is the intent of the Applicant(s) that all publications, patents and patent applications referred to in this specification are to be incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually noted when referenced that it is to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is/are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its/their entirety.

Reference (Other References are Cited Throughout the Application)

-   1. Petersson, B. The dry mass of the pancreatic B-cells in relation     to their content of secretion granules. The Histochemical Journal 1,     55-58 (1968). -   2. Loewenstein, J. E. & Cohen, A. I. Dry Mass, Lipid Content and     Protein Content of the Intact and Zona-Free Mouse Ovum. J Embryol     Exp Morphol 12, 113-121 (1964). -   3. Lapidus, R. G., Tiffany, C. W., Isaacs, J. T. & Slusher, B. S.     Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) enzyme activity is     elevated in prostate cancer cells. Prostate 45, 350-354 (2000). -   4. Hur, E. M. et al. LIME, a novel transmembrane adaptor protein,     associates with p561ck and mediates T cell activation. J Exp Med     198, 1463-1473 (2003). -   5. Lewis, L. A. et al. The Lck SH2 phosphotyrosine binding site is     critical for efficient TCR-induced processive tyrosine     phosphorylation of the zeta-chain and IL-2 production. J Immunol     159, 2292-2300 (1997). -   6. Crowther, M., Brown, N. J., Bishop, E. T. & Lewis, C. E.     Microenvironmental influence on macrophage regulation of     angiogenesis in wounds and malignant tumors. J Leukoc Biol 70,     478-490 (2001). -   7. Martinez-Palomo, A., G. H. Bourne, J. F. D. & Jeon, K. W. in     International Review of Cytology, Vol. Volume 29 29-75 (Academic     Press, 1970). -   8. Marquez, M. et al. Charge-dependent targeting: results in six     tumor cell lines. Anticancer Res 24, 1347-1351 (2004). -   9. Carter, H. B. & Coffey, D. S. Cell surface charge in predicting     metastatic potential of aspirated cells from the Dunning rat     prostatic adenocarcinoma model. J Urol 140, 173-175 (1988). -   10. Bjellqvist, B., Basse, B., Olsen, E. & Celis, J. E. Reference     points for comparisons of two-dimensional maps of proteins from     different human cell types defined in a pH scale where isoelectric     points correlate with polypeptide compositions. Electrophoresis 15,     529-539 (1994). -   11. Bjellqvist, B. et al. The focusing positions of polypeptides in     immobilized pH gradients can be predicted from their amino acid     sequences. Electrophoresis 14, 1023-1031 (1993). -   12. Link, A. J., Hays, L. G., Carmack, E. B. & Yates, J. R., 3rd     Identifying the major proteome components of Haemophilus influenzae     type-strain NCTC 8143. Electrophoresis 18, 1314-1334 (1997). -   13. Link, A. J., Robison, K. & Church, G. M. Comparing the predicted     and observed properties of proteins encoded in the genome of     Escherichia coli K-12. Electrophoresis 18, 1259-1313 (1997). -   14. Campbell, R. B. et al. Cationic charge determines the     distribution of liposomes between the vascular and extravascular     compartments of tumors. Cancer Res 62, 6831-6836 (2002). -   15. Krasnici, S. et al. Effect of the surface charge of liposomes on     their uptake by angiogenic tumor vessels. Int J Cancer 105, 561-567     (2003). -   16. Croyle, M. A. et al. PEGylation of a vesicular stomatitis virus     G pseudotyped lentivirus vector prevents inactivation in serum. J     Virol 78, 912-921 (2004). -   17. Immordino, M. L., Dosio, F. & Cattel, L. Stealth liposomes:     review of the basic science, rationale, and clinical applications,     existing and potential. Int J Nanomedicine 1, 297-315 (2006). -   18. Peeters, L., Sanders, N. N., Jones, A., Demeester, J. & De     Smedt, S. C. Post-pegylated lipoplexes are promising vehicles for     gene delivery in RPE cells. J Control Release 121, 208-217 (2007). -   19. Rivest, V. et al. Novel liposomal formulation for targeted gene     delivery. Pharm Res 24, 981-990 (2007). -   20. Degli-Esposti, M. A. et al. Cloning and characterization of     TRAIL-R3, a novel member of the emerging TRAIL receptor family. J     Exp Med 186, 1165-1170 (1997). -   21. Lee, H. O., Herndon, J. M., Barreiro, R., Griffith, T. S. &     Ferguson, T. A. TRAIL: a mechanism of tumor surveillance in an     immune privileged site. J Immunol 169, 4739-4744 (2002). -   22. LeBlanc, H. N. & Ashkenazi, A. Apo2L/TRAIL and its death and     decoy receptors. Cell Death Differ 10, 66-75 (2003). -   23. Walczak, H. et al. Tumoricidal activity of tumor necrosis     factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in vivo. Nat Med 5, 157-163     (1999). -   24. Rieger, J., Naumann, U., Glaser, T., Ashkenazi, A. & Weller, M.     APO2 ligand: a novel lethal weapon against malignant glioma? FEBS     Lett 427, 124-128 (1998). -   25. Wu, X., He, Y., Falo, L. D., Jr., Hui, K. M. & Huang, L.     Regression of human mammary adenocarcinoma by systemic     administration of a recombinant gene encoding the hFlex-TRAIL fusion     protein. Mol Ther 3, 368-374 (2001). -   26. Griffith, T. S., Anderson, R. D., Davidson, B. L.,     Williams, R. D. & Ratliff, T. L. Adenoviral-mediated transfer of the     TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo-2 ligand gene induces     tumor cell apoptosis. J Immunol 165, 2886-2894 (2000). 

What is claimed is:
 1. A composition-of matter comprising a spherical particle composed of a whole cell membrane fraction, wherein the spherical particle exhibits native membrane symmetry and expression of native markers, said spherical particle encapsulating or conjugated to a pharmaceutical agent being exogenous to the cell from which said whole cell membrane is obtained.
 2. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said cell is a genetically modified cell.
 3. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said spherical particle is 30-1000 nm in size.
 4. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said spherical particle further comprises synthetic lipids.
 5. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said spherical particle is attached to a synthetic polymer at an external surface thereof.
 6. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said spherical particle is devoid of the cytoplasmic content of said cell.
 7. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein said spherical particle is a liposome.
 8. The composition-of-matter of claim 1, wherein the cell is a mesenchymal stem cell.
 9. A composition-of matter comprising a spherical particle composed of a whole cell membrane fraction of a cell, wherein said spherical particle exhibits native membrane symmetry and expression of native markers.
 10. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein said spherical particle encapsulates or conjugated to a pharmaceutical agent being exogenous to said cell.
 11. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein said spherical particle is attached to a synthetic polymer or a peptide at an external surface thereof.
 12. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein said spherical particle is 30-1000 nm in size.
 13. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein said spherical particle is devoid of the cytoplasmic content of said cell.
 14. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein said spherical particle is a liposome.
 15. The composition-of-matter of claim 9, wherein the cell is a mesenchymal stem cell.
 16. A method of producing spherical particles exhibiting native membrane symmetry and expression of native markers, the method comprising, (a) subjecting cells to hypotonic conditions, so as to obtain ruptured cell membranes and/or ghosts; and (b) homogenizing said ruptured cell membranes and/or ghosts to thereby produce spherical particles, wherein the method is devoid of membrane solubilization in the presence of a detergent, thereby producing the spherical particles exhibiting native membrane symmetry and expression of native markers.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said homogenizing is effected by: (c) sonicating said ruptured cell membrane and/or ghosts; and optionally (d) extruding said ruptured membrane and/or ghosts through a matrix of pre-determined porosity.
 18. The method of claim 16 further comprising conjugating a synthetic polymer to said spherical particles following step (c).
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein said cells are stem cells.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein said cells are mesenchymal stem cells.
 21. A method of encapsulating a pharmaceutical agent in a spherical particle, the method comprising making the spherical particles according to the method of claim 16 and adding the pharmaceutical agent prior to the step of homogenizing.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein said spherical particle is devoid of the cytoplasmic content of said cell. 